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BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 


"Oh,  please  don't  do  anything!     Please  don't!"     She  hesitated, 

and  her  blue  eyes  met  mine  in  a  mute  appeal. 

See  page  38. 


BEHIND 
RED  CURTAINS 


BY 

MANSFIELD  SCOTT 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

GEORGE  W.  GAGE 


BOSTON 

SMALL,  MAYNARD  &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1919, 
By  SMALL,  MA\'NARD  &  COMPANY 

(INCORPOBATED) 


SECOND   PRINTING,  SEPTEMBER,  I9I9 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 


2138044  ' 


BEHIND   RED  CURTAINS 

CHAPTER  I 

"  Our  whole  discussion,  friends,  merely  brings  us 
back  to  this  one  question :  Can  a  man  do  murder,  and 
not  know  it?"  Mr.  Henry  Copeland,  our  host,  thus 
summed  up  the  argument  which  had  already  taken 
half  of  the  early  evening. 

"  I  don't  think  that  quite  expresses  it,  Dad,"  Arthur 
Copeland  objected.  "  One  man  might  murder  an- 
other while  under  a  third  person's  hypnotic  power,  and 
still  be  perfectly  conscious  that  he  was  doing  the 
deed." 

"  But  I  can't  believe  that,"  declared  Fred  Aldridge. 
"  No  person  could  be  forced  to  commit  a  crime  while 
under  hypnotic  power,  unless  he  were  wholly  uncon- 
scious of  what  he  was  doing." 

"  That  is  my  opinion,  too,"  agreed  Mr.  Endicott. 
"  If  his  mind  once  grasped  the  significance  of  the 
thing  he  was  about  to  do,  then  he  could  never  be  forced 
to  do  it!" 

The  lawyer  made  this  last  statement  with  emphasis, 

X 


2  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

and  then  glanced  quickly  at  each  of  the  seven  other 
men,  as  though  challenging  any  one  to  attempt  to  dis- 
pute the  truth  of  his  assertion. 

Mr.  Copeland  and  his  son,  seated  side  by  side  near 
the  fireplace,  were  silent.  Mr.  Copeland  did  not  hold 
any  decided  opinions  upon  either  side  of  the  question, 
but  he  was  greatly  interested  in  the  almost  marvellous 
power  of  mind  over  mind  which  Norton  Osgood  had 
demonstrated  to  us.  His  son,  Arthur,  however,  now 
firmly  believed  that  there  was  no  limit  to  the  mys- 
terious power  which  his  father's  strange  guest  seemed 
able  to  exercise  over  his  fellow  beings.  Though  he 
possessed  the  same  tall,  well-built  form  and  the  strong 
features  of  his  father,  Arthur  Copeland  lacked  the 
ability  for  calm  reasoning  which  would  have  checked 
his  over-vivid  imagination.  He  judged  upon  impres- 
sions; his  father  judged  only  after  careful  delibera- 
tion. 

Seeing  that  neither  the  banker  nor  his  son  was  ready 
to  dispute  his  statement,  David  Endicott  turned  his  at- 
tention towards  our  group  at  the  opposite  end  of  the 
room.  Endicott  had  apparently  passed  middle  age, 
but  his  small  form  and  his  round,  kindly  face  still 
showed  the  energy  of  youth  and  a  boyish  enthusiasm. 
He  turned  towards  Norton  Osgood. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  3 

"  Mr.  Osgood,"  he  said,  "  you  have  been  the  inno- 
cent cause  of  all  this  argument.  You  would  seem  to 
be  the  one  who  is  best  fitted  to  convince  me  that  I  am 
wrong.  In  your  honest  opinion,  just  how  far  could 
this  hypnotic  power  of  yours  extend?  " 

"  The  answer  to  that  question,  Mr.  Endicott,"  Nor- 
ton Osgood  answered  slowly,  "  would  depend  entirely 
•upon  the  conditions  which  might  happen  to  exist.  But 
I  can  say  .one  thing,  very  decidedly.  Under  favorable 
conditions,  there  would  be  absolutely  no  limit  to  my 
power !  " 

He  made  the  last  statement  in  the  quiet,  forceful 
tone  of  a  man  who  is  sure  of  his  subject.  Again  we 
all  turned  our  attention  to  him.  The  man  had  an 
uncanny  way  of  holding  attention  whenever  he  spoke, 
even  though  the  subject  of  conversation  were  nothing 
more  important  than  the  weather  or  the  prospect  of 
an  early  spring.  I  had  known  this  strange  visitor  only 
two  days,  but  already  I  was  partly  under  tfie  spell  of 
his  magnetic  personality.  There  was  a  fascinating, 
impelling  something  in  his  large,  dark  eyes  and  almost 
expressionless  face. 

The  more  I  had  thought  of  Norton  Osgood  since 
I  had  met  him  upon  my  arrival  at  the  home  of 
Mr.  Copeland,  the  greater  had  been  my  wonder  that 


4  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

such  an  extraordinary  person  should  have  been  included 
in  an  assemblage  of  wedding  guests.  I  am  not  in  the 
least  superstitious,  but  I  confess  that  had  the  approach- 
ing marriage  been  in  my  family,  I  would  certainly 
have  had  a  deep  feeling  of  misgiving  at  this  mys- 
terious character  being  in  the  house  for  almost  a  week 
before  the  appointed  day.  There  would  always  be  a 
haunting,  intangible  fear  in  my  mind,  lest  the  man 
should  cast  some  fatal  charm  upon  the  lives  of  the 
united  couple. 

But  Osgood's  hypnotic  power  had  evidently  not  be- 
come a  source  of  worry  to  the  practical  Henry  Cope- 
land.  He  seemed  more  than  delighted  to  have  this 
man  present  at  the  wedding  of  his  daughter,  Grace 
Copeland,  and  Fred  Aldridge.  In  fact,  Norton  Os- 
good had  been  introduced  to  us  as  Fred  Aldridge's  best 
friend.  He  had  come  on  from  Detroit  with  the  young 
bridegroom-to-be  and  his  two  sisters,  the  Misses  Ellen 
and  Lucy  Aldridge.  That  was,  indirectly,  the  cause 
of  my  being  present  at  such  an  early  date.  I  had  given 
in  to  the  urgent  pleading  of  Dr.  Robert  Manning,  who 
was  engaged  to  Miss  Ellen  Aldridge,  and  I  had  con- 
sented to  come  to  Boston  with  him  from  New  York. 
I  had  done  so  with  reluctance,  for,  although  I  had 
known  Henry  Copeland  quite  well  in  former  years,  I 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  5 

was  hardly  a  close  enough  friend  of  the  family  to 
warrant  my  spending  several  days  in  his  home. 

Osgood's  calm  statement  that  he  could  exercise  his 
power  without  limit  was  too  much  for  my  friend  Man- 
ning. 

"  But,  Mr.  Osgood,  there  would  be  a  limit !  "  he  de- 
clared. "  Every  real  scientist  in  the  world  will  tell  you 
that.  Up  to  a  certain  point,  no  doubt,  one  human 
mind  can  govern  the  workings  of  another.  But  in 
every  case  there  is  a  certain  definite  limit,  beyond  which 
no  earthly  power  can  go." 

There  was  a  faint  smile  on  Osgood's  lips  as  he 
shook  his  head. 

"  I  agree  with  you  on  that  point,  Bob,"  Fred  Al- 
dridge  said  to  the  young  doctor.  "  We  have  all  seen 
some  of  the  things  which  Mr.  Osgood  can  do,  and  I 
can  assure  you  that  I've  seen  him  do  some  that  are 
even  more  wonderful.  But  we'll  certainly  agree  that 
there  are  some  things  which  he  couldn't  make  any  one 
do." 

"  But,  Fred,  we  saw  him !  "  exclaimed  Arthur  Cope- 
land,  turning  quickly  to  his  future  brother-in-law. 
"  You  saw  it,  Fred,  and  Dad  saw  it,  and  we  all  saw 
it.  He  did  it  to  me,  and  then  he  did  it  to  Mr.  Endi- 
cott." 


6  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Probably  an  elaborately  arranged  fake !  " 

This  from  Harrison  Kirke,  who,  up  to  this  point, 
had  been  silent  in  his  corner. 

Norton  Osgood  turned  quickly,  with  a  very  slight 
flush  visible  upon  his  ordinarily  passive  face. 

"  Please  explain  what  you  mean,  Mr.  Kirke,"  he  said 
with  slow  dignity. 

"  Just  this."  Harrison  Kirke,  a  large,  heavily  built 
man  of  thirty-five  whom  I  had  run  across  several  times 
in  New  York,  half  straightened  up  from  his  lounging 
position  in  the  armchair  which  he  occupied,  and  faced 
Osgood.  "  I  saw  the  things  which  you  made  these 
people  do  this  afternoon,  and  I  am  convinced  that  the 
whole  affair  was  pre-arranged." 

Arthur  Copeland  gave  a  start  of  indignation. 

"  Mr.  Kirke !  "  he  returned.  "  Do  you  think  I  faked 
that  hypnotism  with  Mr.  Osgood,  after  I  had  given  my 
word  that  I  would  attempt  nothing  of  the  sort?  I  tell 
you,  I  was  completely  under  his  power !  When  I  came 
back  into  the  room,  I  hadn't  the  faintest  idea  of  what  I 
was  to  do  or  why  I  must  do  it.  But  I  went  straight  to 
that  rug,  and  took  out  the  scissors  from  beneath  it." 

"  Oh,  I  can  vouch  that  the  affair  was  not  a  fake," 
Mr.  Endicott  said.  "  You  remember,  he  tried  it  upon 
me,  too.     And  I  certainly  wouldn't  play  any  tricks 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  7 

upon  you.  I  went  to  the  bookcase,  and  took  out  the 
book  which  you  had  asked  him  to  make  me  take  out. 
And  I  was  upstairs  when  you  agreed  upon  the  book." 

"  Of  course,"  agreed  Henry  Copeland.  "  The  thing 
could  not  possibly  have  been  faked,  Kirke." 

"  And  I'd  like  to  say,  also,  that  I  am  not  in  the  habit 
of  perpetrating  fakes  as  proof  of  my  power! " 

Osgood  flung  this  at  Kirke  with  more  than  his 
wonted  display  of  spirit. 

"  I  am  fully  convinced  that  Mr.  Osgood  has  real 
hypnotic  power,"  Mr.  Endicott  said  quickly,  seeing 
that  Harrison  Kirke's  insinuation  had  offended  the 
strange  guest.  "  I  simply  maintain  that  his  power, 
and  all  such  hypnotic  power,  is  restricted  by  a  certain 
definite  limit.  For  instance,  to  return  to  the  topic 
which  we  were  discussing  a  few  minutes  ago,  such  a 
power  could  certainly  never  compel  one  man  to  take 
the  life  of  another." 

"  But  I  really  can't  see  why  not,"  Arthur  Copeland 
objected.  "  I've  certainly  been  deeply  impressed  by 
the  things  I've  done  this  afternoon,  and  I  honestly  be- 
lieve that  Mr.  Osgood  has  unlimited  power  over  the 
minds  of  other  human  beings.  And,  if  he  can  force 
others  to  obey  his  will  in  small  things,  why  not  in  — 
in  anything  ?  " 


8  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  But,  my  dear  Arthur,  consider  science !  "  came  the 
lawyer's  insistent  voice.  "  Science  has  proved  again 
and  again  that  hypnotism  cannot  be  used  to  force 
others  to  commit  crimes.  None  of  us  here  are  con- 
nected in  any  way  with  the  psychological  branch  of 
science,  except  Mr,  Osgood  himself,  but  we  have  one 
of  the  medical  profession  among  us.  Dr.  Manning, 
just  what  is  your  honest  opinion  about  this  question?  " 

My  friend  considered  a  moment. 

"  Why,  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Endicott,"  he 
replied  finally.  "  I  think  it  has  been  demonstrated 
repeatedly  that  the  man  under  hypnotic  influence,  no 
matter  what  else  he  may  do,  will  not  commit  a  crime." 

"  That  is  it,  exactly,"  the  lawyer  agreed.  "  He 
could  not  be  made  to  do  anything  which,  at  ordinary 
times,  he  would  shrink  from  doing." 

"  I  believe  that's  about  the  way  science  expresses  it," 
Henry  Copeland  said. 

Arthur  Copeland  turned  suddenly  to  me. 

"  Bob  Manning  tells  me  that  you  are  in  scientific 
work,  Mr.  Clayton,"  he  remarked. 

"  But  I'm  not  in  the  least  connected  with  psychol- 
ogy," I  replied  with  a  smile.  *'  I  am  a  chemist,  in  New 
York." 

"  But  tell  me,"  young  Copeland  persisted.     "  Don't 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  9 

you  truly  believe  that  such  a  thing  as  a  hypnotic  theft, 
or  murder,  is  possible?  " 

"  I  am  rather  inclined  to  agree  with  your  theory,"  I 
admitted.  "  Mr.  Osgood  has  shown  me  so  much  that 
is  wonderful  and  superhuman  this  afternoon,  that  I'm 
ready  to  believe  he  could  cause  a  person  to  do  almost 
anything." 

"  Yes,"  agreed  Endicott.  "  Almost  anything.  But 
not  crime !  " 

"  The  reason  why  Mr.  Clayton  is  inclined  to  believe 
in  such  a  possibility,"  Manning  explained  for  me,  "  is 
because  he  once  had,  right  in  his  family,  a  startling  ex- 
perience with  hypnotism.  Tell  them  about  that,  won't 
you,  George  ?  " 

"  Yes,  do,  Mr.  Clayton !  "  Norton  Osgood  was  all 
interest. 

"  Why,  it  was  really  my  brother  who  was  affected  by 
it,"  I  replied.  "  We  had  gone  to  see  a  man  who  had 
performed  some  marvellous  feats  of  that  kind.  He 
asked  me  wha'  I  wanted  him  to  make  my  brother  do. 
For  a  joke,  I  told  him  to  make  Will  get  up  from  the 
dinner  table  the  next  day,  go  upstairs,  shave  one-half 
of  his  face,  and  then  come  down  and  finish  his  dinner. 
The  man  agreed,  and  proceeded  to  hypnotize  Will.  I 
watched  them  both  every  minute,  and  neither  of  them 


lo  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

spoke  a  word  until  after  Will  and  I  had  left  the  place." 

"  And  did  he  do  it  ?  "  questioned  Arthur  Copeland, 

"  He  did !  Gentlemen,  this  is  the  absolute  truth. 
We  had  not  been  at  dinner  more  than  ten  minutes  the 
next  day,  when  Will  suddenly  arose  and  left  the  room. 
He  didn't  speak  a  word;  he  just  left.  Ten  minutes 
later  he  returned  —  and  one  side  of  his  face  was 
freshly  shaven !  " 

"  And  he  didn't  know  that  that  was  what  he  was 
going  to  do?  "  demanded  David  Endicott, 

"  He  certainly  did  not !  "  I  answered  positively. 

"  I  should  judge  from  that,"  remarked  Norton  Os- 
good, "  that  the  members  of  Mr.  Clayton's  family  are 
particularly  well  suited  for  hypnotic  experiments. 
Perhaps,  also,  Mr.  Clayton  himself.  Did  you  allow 
this  man  to  try  his  powers  upon  you,  Mr.  Clayton  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered  quickly.  "  I  was  —  I  was  afraid. 
I  have  always  had  a  terrible  dread  —  a  horror  —  of  any 
person  who  has  such  a  power." 

Osgood  gave  a  little  laugh. 

"  I  assure  you,"  he  said,  "  that  there  is  nothing  about 
me  which  should  inspire  horror.  I  don't  —  I  don't 
suppose  you'd  be  willing  to  let  me  try  a  test  with  you." 

I  hesitated.  Every  nerve  in  my  body  cringed  at 
the  thought  of  undergoing  such  an  ordeal.     But  the 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  ii 

faces   of   the   others   were   bright   with   anticipation. 

"Of  course,  we  can't  blame  you  for  being  somewhat 
afraid  of  it,  Mr.  Clayton." 

It  was  Endicott  who  spoke. 

"  But  it's  nothing  but  a  harmless  pastime,  when  used 
as  we  know  Osgood  would  use  it,"  Fred  Aldridge 
said. 

"  Perhaps  Dr.  Manning  would  be  willing,"  Osgood 
suggested,  while  I  was  still  hesitating. 

"  I  would  certainly  not !  "  Bob  Manning  said  with 
decision.  "  Of  course,  I  know  it  is  harmless.  But  I 
" —  I  couldn't  think  of  letting  any  one  have  mental  con- 
trol over  me,  even  for  a  minute.  Why.  you  know,  if 
there  is  any  truth  in  the  theory  which  Arthur  and 
George  seem  inclined  to  favor,  this  —  this  hypnotism 
has  possibilities  which  are  too  frightful  for  words !  " 

Manning's  strikingly  handsome  face  expressed  the 
same  intangible  dread  which  had  taken  possession  of 
my  mind  during  the  afternoon.  I  saw  him  cast  an 
involuntary  glance  toward  the  slouching  Harrison 
Kirke.  My  gaze  suddenly  followed  his  glance,  and  I 
caught  a  malicious  gleam  in  Kirke's  eyes  which  seemed 
partly  a  laugh,  and  partly  a  sneer.  But  whether  this 
was  aimed  at  Osgood's  hypnotism  or  at  Manning's  ap- 
parent fear,  I  was  unable  to  decide. 


12  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"But,  Bob,  there's  no  reason  for  you  to  be  afraid, 
here,"  Arthur  Copeland  assured  my  friend.  "  Of 
course,  we  all  admit  that  this  hypnotic  power  might  be 
put  to  a  horrible  use,  but  — " 

"  /  don't  admit  that,  Arthur !  "  Mr.  Endicott  cut 
him  short.  "  I  am  just  as  firmly  convinced  as  ever 
that  there  is  a  certain,  definite  limit  to  all  such  powers, 
beyond  which  hypnotism  never  has  gone  and  never  can 

go- 

**  And  it's  exactly  the  same  with  me !  "  declared  Fred 
Aldridge. 

"  Science  has  proved  it  over  and  over  again,"  con- 
tinued the  lawyer.  "  You  must  have  heard  of  most 
of  their  experiments.  A  man  under  hypnotic  influ- 
ence can  be  made  to  do  anything  in  the  world  —  ex- 
cept a  criminal  or  harmful  act.  One  man  was  hypno- 
tized and  told  to  fire  an  empty  revolver  at  another 
person.  He  did  it.  But  when  he  was  given  a  gun 
loaded  with  real  bullets,  he  came  out  from  under  the 
influence  at  once,  and  no  effort  of  the  hypnotist  could 
make  him  point  the  loaded  weapon." 

"Wonderful!"  exclaimed  Henry  Copeland, 

"  There  were  other  trials,"  his  friend  went  on. 
"  Another  man  was  forced  by  hypnotic  power  to  pour 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  13 

cold  water  from  a  small  bottle  into  a  friend's  cofifee. 
But  when  this  same  man  was  given  another  bottle,  ex- 
actly similar  in  appearance,  but  containing  a  deadly 
poison, —  some  mysterious  and  unexplained  source  of 
knowledge  immediately  warned  him  of  the  danger.  He 
dropped  the  bottle  from  his  hand,  and  awoke  at  once 
to  his  normal  state  of  mind." 

"  This  whole  business  is  beyond  human  thought !  '* 
Manning  declared. 

"  It  simply  shows,"  Endicott  finished,  "  that  there  is 
a  mysterious  dividing  line  —  an  absolute  limit  —  which 
instantly  checks  the  power  of  hypnotism  when  it  is 
directed  along  criminal  lines !  " 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence.  We  all  sat  as 
though  spell-bound  by  the  lawyer's  forceful  presenta- 
,  tion  of  these  astounding  facts.  We  were  lost  in  won- 
der at  this  unaccountable  something  of  mystery  —  this 
agency,  half  human  and  half  spiritual  —  which  no 
one  has  ever  explained. 

"  Of  course,"  David  Endicott  added  presently,  "  I 
will  admit  that  there  have  been  cases  and  cases  of 
murder  on  record  in  which  the  criminal  seemed  actu- 
ated by  some  impelling  force  which  was  not  of  his  own 
making  or  wish.     To  attempt  to  deny  that  would  be 


14  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

foolish,  for  we  know  that  many  a  man  has  done  murder 
in  spite  of  the  most  strenuous  efforts  on  his  part  to 
prevent  it.  But  what  I  do  maintain  is  this :  Whatever 
that  external  incentive,  it  was  certainly  not  given  to 
him  in  any  way  through  hypnotism.  It  is  far  more 
probable  that  it  came  through  heredity,  or  perhaps 
from  some  entirely  different  mental  process." 

A  very  slight  movement  on  the  part  of  Fred  Aldridge 
caught  my  attention.  I  glanced  at  him  quickly.  There 
was  a  pale,  drawn  expression  upon  his  clear-cut,  earnest 
face.  It  disappeared  rapidly  as  he  recovered  himself. 
I  observed,  also,  the  reassuring  grasp  of  Bob  Man- 
ning's friendly  hand  upon  his  arm. 

I  suddenly  found  Norton  Osgood's  large  eyes  gazing 
into  mine. 

"  Did  you  decide  that  you  would  let  me  try  it,  Mr. 
Clayton  ?  "  he  asked. 

Again  I  hesitated. 

"I  —  I've  been  greatly  impressed  by  what  has  just 
been  said,"  I  replied,  at  length,  "  and  I  —  I  have  been 
thinking  how  confident  you  seem  to  be  that  you  could 
make  me  do  anything  you  wished.  Are  you  quite  sure 
that  you  would  have  this  power  over  me  ?  " 

"  I'm  quite  positive,"  he  answered  with  a  smile. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  1$ 

"  Over  you,  Mr.  Clayton,  I  feel  I  would  have  unlimited 
power.  Your  type  of  mind  is  one  of  the  most  favor- 
able for  a  test." 

"  Again,  Mr.  Osgood,  I  must  correct  your  use  of 
the  words  *  unlimited  power,'  "  the  lawyer  objected. 
"  Your  real  meaning  is,  *  unlimited  power  —  up  to  the 
hypnotic  limit  1  *  " 

For  a  moment,  Osgood  did  not  reply.  When  he 
spoke,  his  tone  startled  us. 

"  I  am  afraid,  Mr.  Endicott,"  he  said  slowly,  "  that 
I,  in  turn,  must  correct  you.  Under  favorable  condi- 
tions, my  power  is  quite  unlimited.  For  me,  at  such 
times,  there  would  be  no  hypnotic  limit !  " 

Fred  Aldridge  started  in  spite  of  himself. 

"But,  Mr.  Osgood!"  I  reminded  him.  "Think 
of  what  such  a  statement  as  that  would  imply!  It  is 
the  same  as  saying  that  if  you  wished  to  force  a  person 
to  do  —  murder,  you  could  do  it !  " 

For  an  instant,  Norton  Osgood  surveyed  me  in  si- 
lence. Again  his  dark  eyes  met  mine.  In  that  short 
instant,  my  instinctive  dread  of  the  mysterious  guest 
was  doubled.  I  felt  a  new  apprehension  —  almost  a 
terror  —  of  this  man  who  declared  he  could  be  master 
of  us  all. 


i6  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

*'  Unpleasant  as  it  is  to  think  of  it,"  came  Osgood's 
voice  in  its  low,  even  tones,  "  your  words,  Mr.  Clayton, 
are  absolutely  true." 

Again  he  fixed  his  eyes  upon  my  face.  Then  he 
finished : 

"  If  I  wanted  —  I  could  make  a  man  do  murder!  " 

No  one  spoke. 

"  But,  Mr.  Clayton,"  Osgood  laughed,  "  perhaps  I 
have  frightened  you.  I  assure  you  that  my  experiment 
upon  you,  if  you  decide  to  be  kind  enough  to  let  me 
attempt  it,  will  be  most  simple  and  harmless.  I  cer- 
tainly hope  you'll  allow  me  to  do  it !  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Clayton !  "  exclaimed  Arthur  Copeland. 
"  Do  let  him !  " 

The  others  urged  me,  too.     And  —  I  consented. 

"Then,  come!"  cried  Arthur  gleefully.  "Let's 
join  the  ladies,  and  we'll  see  what  he  can  do  with  you !  " 

"  And  perhaps  we  had  better  drop  this  discussion  of 
—  er  —  of  hypnotism  in  crime  and  murder,"  his 
father  suggested.  "  It  isn't  a  very  cheerful  subject 
for  a  wedding  party  to  have  to  consider,  anyway." 

He  led  the  way  into  the  hall.  The  others  followed 
at  once.  When  I  arose,  I  found  that  I  instinctively 
shrank  from  going  with  them.  I  have  never  been  able 
to  give  any  definite  reason  for  my  feeling,  but  I  had  a 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  17 

deep-rooted  dread  of  submitting  to  the  test.  I  had 
just  reached  the  door  when  a  voice  called  to  me  from 
within  the  room.  I  was  surprised,  for  I  had  thought 
that  all  had  preceded  me. 

"  Oh,  Clayton."  It  was  Harrison  Kirke.  He  was 
just  rising  from  his  chair  in  the  corner. 

I  paused.     He  came  forward  slowly. 

"  It  seems  to  me  we've  met  two  or  three  times  in 
New  York,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  know  this  bunch  here 
at  all.  Perhaps  you  can  give  me  a  tip  or  two  about 
them  that  will  set  me  straight." 

"  Well,"  I  returned  slowly,  "  what  can  I  tell  you?  " 

I  left  the  door,  and  crossed  to  where  he  stood  by  the 
fireplace.  So  great  was  my  desire  to  put  off  the  ordeal 
with  Osgood  that  I  instinctively  welcomed  any  oppor- 
tunity to  gain  time,  even  though,  it  involved  a  con- 
versation with  Harrison  Kirke. 

I  noticed  that  Kirke  had  omitted  to  mention  any  of 
the  places  where  I  had  seen  him.  Possibly  he  had 
hoped  that  I  would  not  remember  them.  No  one 
could  run  across  the  man  around  his  accustomed  haunts 
more  than  once,  without  learning  to  know  him  for 
what  he  was  —  a  loafer,  drinker,  gambler,  and  worse. 
I  could  not  possibly  imagine  what  had  led  Henry  Cope- 
land  to  have  this  person  in  his  home  at  such  a  time. 


i8  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  want  to  know,"  Kirke  said 
to  me.  He  came  closer,  and  I  could  detect  a  very  slight 
odor  of  whiskey  upon  his  breath. 

"Who  is  this  chap  Osgood?"  he  questioned  sud- 
denly. 

"Why?"  I  demanded. 

"  No  special  reason,  except  that  I  don't  like  the  looks 
of  the  man.  I've  never  seen  him  before,  but  I've  got  a 
feeling  that  he  has  it  in  for  me.  He  gave  me  a  couple 
of  nasty  looks  to-night." 

It  was  on  my  tongue's  end  to  say,  "  I  don't  blame 
him,"  but  I  refrained. 

"  Mr.  Aldridge  introduced  him  to  me  as  one  of  his 
best  friends,"  I  replied.  "  That's  all  I  know  about 
him." 

"Hmm!"  The  information  was  evidently  too 
vague  to  satisfy  Kirke.  "  Aldridge,  eh  ?  "  He  was 
thoughtful  for  an  instant.  "  I  say,"  he  added  sud- 
denly, "  that  Fred  Aldridge  has  a  nerve  —  to  marry 
Copeland's  daughter !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  I  asked. 

"  Oh !  "  His  tone  showed  mild  surprise.  "  You 
don't  know,  then,— about  Aldridge?  " 

I  was  puzzled.  He  waited  an  instant,  and  then  went 
on. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  19 

**  I  should  think,  since  you've  been  so  thick  with 
Manning,  he  would  have  told  you.  I'm  sure  Copeland 
knows  it,  and  still  he's  willing  — -" 

"  See  here,  Kirke,"  I  broke  in,  "  you'd  better  not 
make  any  insinuations  about  Aldridge  where  Mr.  Cope- 
land  can  hear  you.  And  as  for  Fred  Aldridge,  he's  a 
first-rate  fellow !  " 

"  Oh,  yes !  First-rate ! "  the  man  agreed,  with  a 
mirthless  laugh.  "  But  Copeland !  Copeland' s  daugh- 
ter,—  marrying  one  of  the  Aldridges!  It  must  be 
some  blow  to  the  old  boy's  pride!  " 

I  had  taken  his  previous  remarks  rather  calmly, 
but  these  insinuations  against  the  Aldridges  as  a  family 
were  more  than  I  proposed  to  stand  from  Harrison 
Kirke.  I  did  not  intend  to  ignore  the  hidden  meaning 
of  his  last  speech;  it  unquestionably  included  Miss 
Ellen  Aldridge  —  the  finest  girl  I  had  ever  met,  or  ever 
expected  to  meet. 

"  Kirke,  that  will  be  enough  about  the  Aldridges, 
unless  you  are  ready  to  give  proof  of  whatever  you 
have  against  them!  If  Mr.  Copeland  hears  any  of 
this,  you'll  soon  have  all  the  trouble  you  are  looking 
for,  and  more,  too!  And  I'll  give  you  one  other  bit 
of  advice!  If  you  value  your  general  health,  you'll 
not  let  Bob  Manning  hear  you,  either !  " 


20  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

Kirke's  face  darkened. 

"  We'll  leave  Manning  out  of  this,"  he  returned. 
Then,  "Copeland!"  he  muttered,  contemptuously. 
**  Just  what  do  you  think  Copeland  is  going  to  do 
about  it?" 

"  If  /  were  in  his  place,  I'd  fire  you  out! "  I  shot 
back. 

"Come,  come,  Clayton;  don't  get  nasty!" 

He  gave  a  malicious  little  laugh. 

*'  You  said  it,  all  right,"  he  went  on,  "  when  you 
said  that  about  firing  me  out.  Copeland  would  like  to, 
I'll  bet,  if  he  could.  But  the  trouble  is,"  and  he 
laughed  again,  "  he  can't  do  it !  " 

A  step  at  the  door  caught  our  attention.  Dr.  Man- 
ning entered. 

"  They  are  waiting  for  you,  George,"  he  an- 
nounced quietly,  as  he  came  into  the  room. 

As  I  turned  away  from  Kirke  and  glanced  at  my 
friend,  I  could  not  help  forming  a  vivid  mental  picture 
of  the  complete  contrast  between  that  slouching,  worth- 
less gambler  and  the  man  who  had  entered.  Though 
perhaps  a  trifle  shorter  in  height  than  the  average  man 
in  his  twenties.  Bob  Manning  was  well-proportioned, 
erect,  and  energetic,  with  muscles  like  iron  wire.  To 
me,  he  was  everything  that  a  young  man  should  be. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  21 

His  face  was  refined  and  handsome.  His  bright,  dark 
eyes  showed  honesty  and  fearlessness.  He  was  a 
Southerner  by  birth ;  I  had  known  him  five  years  since 
I  had  first  met  him  in  New  York.  With  his  kindness 
and  generosity  to  every  one,  he  made  friends  quickly, 
and  kept  them.  Only  those  who  knew  him  well  could 
have  suspected  that  there  was  Southern  blood  in  his 
veins,  for  he  was  calm  in  the  midst  of  excitement,  and 
in  the  presence  of  danger  he  was  cool  as  ice.  Nor  was 
Manning  easily  stirred  into  passion.  He  laughed  at 
men  who  tried  to  insult  him,  and  overlooked  their 
words.  But  let  any  one,  by  word  or  action,  do  an  in- 
justice to  one  of  Bob's  friends,  and  he  could  transform 
himself  into  a  veritable  human  tornado. 

I  owed  my  life  to  him,  and  to  his  dauntless  courage 
and  nerve.  Three  years  before  this,  I  had  gone  with 
him  on  a  hunting  trip  in  Africa  —  a  journey  which 
had  all  but  proved  to  be  my  last.  Manning's  spirit  of 
daring  had  led  us  far  beyond  the  regions  which  hunters 
can  frequent  with  safety.  The  whole  terrible  expe- 
rience was  as  clear  in  my  mind  as  though  it  had  hap- 
pened the  day  before.  I  could  see  again  the  vicious, 
grinning  faces  of  the  savage  natives  as  they  closed  in 
upon  us  in  the  tangled  forest.  I  could  feel  the  pain  in 
my  lungs  as  my  running  steps  faltered;  I  could  see 


22  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

our  terrible  enemies  drawing  closer  in  the  rear.  I  saw 
Manning's  lithe  form  in  front  of  me,  as  he  distanced 
them  all  with  his  magnificent  racing  stride.  I  felt 
again  the  horrible  burning  as  I  fell  to  the  ground,  with 
a  spear-head  piercing  my  leg.  I  felt  strong  arms 
which  lifted  me  up  and  carried  me  onward,  into  a  little 
deserted  hut,  as  Manning,  who  could  have  raced  to 
safety  without  an  effort,  turned  back  to  fight  for  me. 
Then  had  come  the  savage  assault  upon  the  door  of 
the  hut.  I  could  see  them  surging  forward  with  their 
spears.  I  remembered  the  quick  reports  as  Bob  Man- 
ning emptied  both  our  rifles  in  a  vain  effort  to  stop 
them.  Then  he  had  stood  there  —  calm,  defiant, 
ready  —  against  the  wicked  assault  of  the  enraged  sav- 
ages who  remained.  His  hunting-knife  was  his  only 
weapon.  But  as  each  maddened  native  flung  himself 
at  the  little  doorway.  Bob  Manning  stood  his  ground, 
and  fought.  With  lightning,  deadly  strokes  he  felled 
them  one  by  one.  With  all  the  fury  of  a  trapped 
panther  he  stuck  fast  to  his  post  at  the  door.  Again 
and  again  his  knife  tore  through  the  savage  breasts — • 
every  stroke  straight  to  the  heart.  One  by  one  they 
fell,  and  none  ever  rose  again.  And  when  friends 
came  to  investigate  the  shots,  they  found  Bob  Manning 
still  unconquered  in  the  door. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  23 

Thus,  in  my  estimation,  Robert  Manning  had 
come  to  stand  for  all  that  is  courageous  and  noble  and 
loyal  in  young  manhood. 

"  What's  troubling  you,  George?  " 

"  Why,  I  don't  know,  Bob,"  I  answered.     *'  Why?  " 

"  You  seem  worried,"  replied  Manning,  with  a  little 
laugh.     "  George,  I  believe  you're  afraid  of  Osgood !  " 

"  Afraid  I  "  I  laughed  uneasily.  "  Why, —  of  course 
I'm  not!" 

My  friend  put  his  hand  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Then,  for  goodness'  sake,  do  come,"  he  said. 
"  Mrs.  Copeland  is  wondering  what  has  become  of 
you." 

He  took  no  notice  of  Harrison  Kirke,  but  led  me  out 
into  the  hall. 

"  George,"  he  declared,  "  I  believe  this  hypnotism  has 
worried  you !  " 

Outwardly  I  protested  and  denied  it.  But  I  knew 
his  words  were  only  too  true.  I  would  have  given  al- 
most anything  I  had  to  be  able  to  escape  gracefully 
from  the  test  I  had  promised  Osgood.  It  had  more 
than  worried  me ;  it  had  upset  me,  unnerved  me,  terri- 
fied me. 

Yet  I  could  give  absolutely  no  reason  for  this  haunt- 
ing fear.    That  is  —    Perhaps  I  had  imagined  it.     Or 


24  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

perhaps  I  had  caught  a  glimmer  of  a  real,  half-buried 
fire,  which  had  seemed  to  be  smouldering  in  Norton 
Osgood's  mysterious  black  eyes,  when  he  had  said  to 
me: 

"  If  I  wanted  —  I  could  make  a  man  do  murder!  " 


CHAPTER  II 

We  found  most  of  the  party  gathered  around  an 
open  fire  in  the  Hving-room.  I  noticed  that  Mr.  Henry 
Copeland  and  his  friend  David  Endicott  were  not 
present,  but  at  that  time  I  did  not  give  the  matter  a 
thought. 

Mrs.  Henry  Copeland  was  eagerly  awaiting  our 
coming.  She  was  a  lady  of  forty-five,  always  kindly 
and  smiling  —  the  kind  of  hostess  that  makes  a  guest 
feel  at  home  at  once. 

Grace  Copeland  was  standing  with  Fred  Aldridge 
near  the  fireplace.  They  were  an  excellent  couple. 
Grace  was  a  pretty  girl,  tall  and  slight ;  her  clear,  dark 
complexion  contrasted  with  Fred  Aldridge's  light 
brown  hair  and  blue  eyes, 

Fred's  two  sisters  were  the  only  other  ladies  in  our 
little  party.  Ellen  Aldridge  was  perhaps  a  year  older 
than  her  brother,  and  her  sister  Lucy  was  about  three 
years  younger. 

Two  days  before  this,  when  I  had  first  arrived  from 
New  York,  Bob  Manning  had  introduced  me  to  the  girl 
whom  he  expected  to  marry.     Her  face  was  not  re- 

25 


26  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

markable  for  its  beauty,  but  it  expressed  earnestness 
and  sincerity.  I  had  a  feeling  that  there  was  some- 
thing about  her  which  I  could  not  quite  understand. 
She  was  bright  and  cheerful,  and  she  had  greeted  me 
with  a  smile  whenever  she  had  seen  me.  But  I  felt 
that  there  was  something  - —  something  which  showed 
itself  upon  her  features  when  she  thought  that  she  was 
unobserved  —  some  scarcely  noticeable  expression  of 
sadness,  which  suggested  that  all  her  cheerfulness  might 
have  been  displayed  with  an  effort. 

Manning  had  told  me  very  little  about  her.  She  had 
previously  lived  in  New  York,  he  had  said,  but  had 
since  moved  to  Detroit  with  her  brother  and  sister. 
He  had  been  especially  anxious  for  me  to  come  to 
Boston  with  him  and  meet  her.  He  had  always  valued 
my  opinions,  and  I  knew  it  would  have  been  a  terrible 
disappointment  to  him  if  I  could  not  have  told  him  that 
I  liked  her.  But  I  could  tell  him  that,  for  I  did  like 
her.  I  liked  her  as  I  had  never  liked  any  girl  before. 
This  last,  however,  I  hardly  dared  to  tell  him. 

Her  sister,  Lucy,  seemed  a  splendid  girl,  too.  She 
was  frail  and  timid,  and  of  a  very  retiring  nature.  I 
was  sorry  for  her,  for  I  saw  how  timorous  she  would 
have  been  without  the  reassurance  of  her  sister's  pres- 
ence. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  27 

As  we  entered  the  room,  Norton  Osgood  arose 
eagerly. 

"  Mr.  Clayton,  I  was  afraid  you  had  decided  to  go 
back  upon  our  agreement,"  he  said  to  me. 

**  I'll  admit  that  I'm  a  bit  apprehensive  about  this, 
Mr.  Osgood,"  I  replied,  "  but  I  will  certainly  keep 
my  promise  to  you." 

"  Good !  "  Osgood  beamed  upon  me.  "  Now,  our 
friend  Arthur  Copeland  has  already  decided  what  he 
would  like  me  to  force  you  to  do." 

"  And  do  the  others  know  what  it  is?  "  I  questioned. 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed !  They  all  know.  It  only  re- 
mains for  me  to  cause  you  to  carry  out  their  wish. 
Now,  Mr.  Clayton,  if  you  will  be  seated  here,  in  this 
chair." 

He  had  placed  two  chairs  facing  each  other  in  the 
center  of  the  room.     I  shivered  in  spite  of  myself. 

"  Mr.  Clayton  is  afraid  of  this,"  Ellen  Aldridge  said 
quickly,  turning  to  Bob  Manning.  "  You  shouldn't 
have  asked  him  to  do  it." 

"  But  /  didn't  ask  him,  Ellen,"  Manning  answered. 
"  Mr.  Osgood  requested  it,  and  George  agreed." 

"  But,  Mr.  Osgood,"  Miss  Aldridge's  voice  was  in- 
sistent, "  you  mustn't  do  it,  if  he  is  afraid  of  such 
things.     You  know,  you  hypnotized  a  girl  who  was 


28  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

afraid  of  you  once  in  Detroit,  and  she  was  ill  for  nearly 
a  month.  It's  a  terrible  thing,  when  it's  done  to  the 
wrong  person !  " 

She  seemed  really  concerned  lest  Osgood  should  do 
me  some  physical  or  mental  injury.  But  he  was  in- 
sistent, and  it  was  clear  that  he  did  not  wish  to  be 
robbed  of  his  chance  at  the  last  moment.  I  seated  my- 
self without  any  further  words. 

He  took  the  chair  opposite,  and  fixed  his  large  eyes 
upon  mine.  He  demanded  my  undivided  attention, 
and  I  gave  it.  It  seemed  scarcely  a  half  minute  while 
my  eyes  stared  into  his.  I  could  hear  his  voice  in  low 
tones;  I  sensed,  rather  than  saw,  that  his  hands  were 
in  motion.     Then,  suddenly,  something  happened. 

His  voice  drifted  away  into  the  far  distance.  I 
could  still  hear  it,  but  I  knew  that  it  was  now  far, 
far  away  from  the  room.  The  —  the  room?  I  sud- 
denly realized  that  there  was  no  room  at  all. 

If  I  arose  to  my  feet  through  my  own  effort,  I  did 
not  know  it.  I  have  no  memory  of  muscular  exertion. 
But  it  was  only  too  clear  that  I  was  on  my  feet.  I 
was  walking  slowly, —  but  where,  I  had  not  the  slight- 
est idea.  I  could  no  longer  see  Osgood.  But  I  knew 
that  there  was  something  —  something  as  yet  unknown 
to  me  —  which  I  must,  must  do. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  29 

"  You've  got  to  do  it!     You've  got  to  do  it!  " 

It  was  no  human  voice  that  said  this,  yet  the  v^ords 
rang  in  my  brain  again  and  again. 

Then,  from  nowhere,  a  small  table  seemed  to  take 
shape  before  me.  I  recognized  it  as  one  that  I  had 
seen  in  the  room.  Upon  it  I  saw  two  books, —  a  red 
one  and  a  blue  one.  But  still  I  had  not  the  slightest 
idea  of  what  I  was  to  do. 

"  You've  got  to  do  it !  "  came  the  words  again. 

And  I  opened  the  blue  book  at  the  first  page,  and 
took  out  a  ring  from  inside. 

I  heard  a  chorus  of  exclamations.  In  a  flash,  what- 
ever had  taken  hold  upon  me  disappeared.  I  found 
myself  standing  by  the  table  at  one  end  of  the  room, 
Osgood  was  smiling  at  me. 

"Very  successful  indeed!"  he  remarked.  "Did 
you  enjoy  it?  " 

I  held  up  the  ring  in  wonder. 

"This!"  I  cried.     "Was  this  it?" 

Mrs.  Copeland  nodded. 

"  It  is  mine,"  she  explained.  "  I  put  it  there,  and 
we  asked  him  to  make  you  take  it  out." 

Dumfounded,  stupefied,  I  stared  at  the  man  whose 
mind  could  rule  mine  at  his  will. 

"  You  are  a  remarkably  good  subject,"  Osgood  as- 


30  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

sured  me.  "  If  you  don't  object,  I  am  going  to  try  it 
once  more." 

"  Oh,  wait !  "  exclaimed  Arthur  Copeland.  "  We 
were  going  to  try  Mr.  Endicott  again,  first." 

"  That's  a  good  plan,  Arthur,"  agreed  Fred  Ald- 
ridge.  "  We'll  give  Mr.  Clayton  a  rest.  Suppose  we 
hunt  up  Mr.  Endicott." 

Arthur  agreed,  and  they  went  out  in  search  of  the 
lawyer.  But  neither  he  nor  Mr.  Copeland  could  be 
found.  Mrs.  Copeland  and  Grace  hurried  upstairs  to 
join  in  the  search. 

I  was  still  struck  dumb  with  amazement  and  wonder. 
When  I  finally  found  my  voice,  I  turned  to  Bob  Man- 
ning. 

"  That's  simply  marvellous !  "  I  exclaimed. 

Ellen  Aldridge  smiled  at  me. 

"  He  certainly  is  wonderful !  "  she  agreed.  "  You 
didn't  mind  it  very  much,  did  you?  " 

"  Why  —  why,  no,"  I  answered.  "  It  wasn't  nearly 
so  bad  as  I  had  expected.     You'd  better  try  it,  Bob." 

"  No, —  thank  you !  "  Manning  shivered  slightly. 

"  By  Jove,  I  don't  see  where  Dad  can  be !  "  de- 
clared Arthur  Copeland,  as  he  entered  suddenly. 

At  that  instant  I  remembered  that  we  had  left  Har- 
rison Kirke  in  the  room  at  the  other  end  of  the  hall* 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  '^i 

The  thought  occurred  to  me  that  Henry  Copeland  and 
the  lawyer  might  be  there  with  him.  I  left  the  living- 
room,  and  walked  quickly  down  the  long  hallway  to 
the  room  where  we  had  been  before. 

I  had  guessed  correctly.  The  banker  and  his  friend 
were  engaged  in  animated  conversation  with  Harrison 
Kirke.  As  I  approached,  I  heard  the  name  **  Wol- 
cott "  mentioned  by  the  lawyer.  I  knocked  at  the 
door. 

"  Oh,  it's  you,  Clayton,"  Mr.  Copeland  said,  rising. 
**  I  imagine  the  others  are  wondering  where  I  am." 

"  They  have  been  looking  for  you,"  I  replied.  "  I 
thought  perhaps  I  might  find  you  here." 

"  We'll  both  be  there,  immediately,"  the  banker 
promised.     "  I  wonder  if  you  would  tell  them  that." 

I  returned  to  the  living-room,  and  found  the  place 
almost  deserted.  The  others  were  evidently  searching 
in  various  parts  of  the  house.  When  Mrs.  Copeland 
finally  returned,  her  husband  and  Mr.  Endicott  had 
joined  me  in  the  living-room.  Kirke  was  not  with 
them. 

Mrs.  Copeland  laughed. 

*'  I  imagine  we'll  have  to  hunt  up  the  others,  now," 
she  said.     "  They  seem  to  have  disappeared." 

I  stepped  into  the  hall  again,  to  see  if  I  could  catch 


32  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

sight  of  any  of  them.  My  attention  was  caught  by 
the  sound  of  voices  in  a  Httle  room  at  the  right.  I 
learned,  to  my  surprise,  that  the  two  speakers  were 
Miss  Ellen  Aldridge  and  Harrison  Kirke.  I  caught 
my  breath  quickly  as  I  heard  one  of  Kirke's  remarks, 
and  then  strode  forward  to  the  doorway.  There  I 
paused,  concealed  by  the  darkness  of  the  hallway,  and 
stared  into  the  room. 

It  was  a  small  room,  evidently  used  for  writing  pur- 
poses. The  door  into  the  hall  was  the  only  one,  but  at 
the  opposite  end  of  the  room,  a  pair  of  dark  red  cur- 
tains hid  what  was  plainly  an  entrance  to  some  place 
beyond. 

I  certainly  had  no  intention  of  playing  the  eaves- 
dropper for  the  purpose  of  learning  any  of  Miss  Ald- 
ridge's  affairs.  But  the  tone  of  Kirke's  remarks  had 
been  such  that  I  considered  myself  justified  in  making 
an  immediate  investigation. 

She  was  standing  beside  the  writing-desk,  facing 
Harrison  Kirke,  who  towered  above  her.  The  man 
had  evidently  entered  from  the  hall,  and  had  found  her 
there. 

"  Don't  you  think  you've  given  me  about  enough  of 
that  stuff  about  not  remembering  me?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  told  you,  Mr.  Kirke,"   Ellen  Aldridge  replied 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  33 

quickly,  "  that  I  do  not  care  to  remember  you,  or  ever 
speak  to  you  again !  " 

"  Oh,  really ! "  Kirke's  tone  was  maddening. 
"  Suppose  I  tell  you  that  you'll  have  to  remember  me !  " 

She  made  an  effort  to  push  by  him,  but  he  stopped 
her. 

"  Mr.  Kirke,  I  demand  that  you  let  me  go !  " 

Her  tone  was  quiet,  but  ominous. 

"  Oh,  indeed,  miss !  You  think  I've  forgotten 
about  —  New  York  ?  " 

"  I  know  very  well  that  you  haven't!  "  There  was 
a  catch  in  the  girl's  voice.  "  Nor  I  haven't  forgotten 
it,  either!  It  was  your  cowardly  blackmailing  that 
got  my  poor  father  into  —  everything !  You  did  it ! 
You  were  the  one  who  forced  him  to  do  it !  And  some 
day,  you  will  pay  for  that !  " 

**  Yes !  "  sneered  the  man.  "  Some  day !  But  to- 
day is  the  day  when  you  will  pay !  " 

"  I  have  told  you  that  you  will  not  receive  one  cent 
from  me," 

It  was  said  with  quiet  dignity,  with  not  a  sign  of 
wavering. 

"  You  really  mean  it?  " 

"I  do!" 

"  Ah !     Very  well !     When  Copeland's  other  guests 


34  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

arrive  to-morrow,  I  shall  take  pains  to  inform  every 
one  of  them  that  they  have  come  to  see  Grace  Cope- 
land  married  to  —  the  son  of  Willard  Aldridge!  " 

She  gasped,  and  turned  pale.  And  in  the  darkness 
of  the  hallway,  I  gasped,  too. 

Willard  Aldridge!  Not  Willard  Aldridge!  No, 
no,  it  couldn't  be,  I  told  myself  over  and  over  again, 
trying  with  all  my  heart  to  believe  that  the  man  had 
lied.  Willard  Aldridge!  The  fiendish  criminal  who 
had  shocked  all  New  York  with  his  five  horrible  mur- 
ders! The  man  who,  under  the  guise  of  a  heart  spe- 
cialist, had  baffled  police,  detectives,  every  one,  with 
his  diabolical  crimes,  until  he  had  been  finally  unmasked 
and  sent  to  the  electric  chair  by  Inspector  Malcomc 
Steele  of  the  Secret  Service.  This  wonderful  girl  — ' 
his  daughter ! 

So  this  was  the  hidden  secret  which  had  brought 
sadness  into  her  heart !  This  was  what  she  had  been 
bravely  helping  her  sister  Lucy  to  bear!  I  felt  a 
sudden  longing  to  strike  into  the  room  and  wring  the 
worthless  gambler's  neck, —  to  choke  every  bit  of 
breath  from  his  body.  Boiling  over  with  indignation, 
I  strode  forward. 

But  I  hesitated.  What  I  proposed  to  do,  I  reasoned 
quickly,  would  only  make  it  harder  for  Ellen  Aldridge. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  35 

It  would  certainly  not  make  her  feel  any  better  to 
realize  that  I,  also,  knew  her  secret.  I  remembered 
Kirke's  previous  remarks  to  me.  Mr.  Copeland  and 
his  family  knew  the  Aldridges'  secret ;  it  was  clear  that 
they  were  all  only  too  willing  to  forget  Fred's  past 
history.  All  that  mattered  to  them  was  that  he  was  a 
fine  fellow.  Ellen  Aldridge  certainly  had  enough  to 
bear,  I  told  myself,  when  she  realized  that  they  knew, 
and  that  Bob  Manning  knew.  An  intrusion  now  by  a 
comparative  stranger  would  be  nothing  less  than  brutal. 
I  drew  back  again  into  the  dark  hallway. 

But  it  required  every  particle  of  my  self-control  to 
keep  from  flinging  myself  bodily  upon  this  despicable 
man,  who  was  deliberately,  insolently  threatening  to 
lay  bare  her  sad  story  to  a  gathering  of  strangers.  I 
shuddered  at  the  thought  of  the  irreparable  havoc 
which  Harrison  Kirke  might  cause  among  the  Cope- 
lands'  guests  before  the  next  evening.  They  would 
not  understand;  they  had  not  seen  the  real  worth  of 
Fred  Aldridge  and  his  sister.  They  would  hear  only 
the  plain,  terrible,  shocking  story  that  the  bridegroom's 
father  had  gone  to  the  electric  chair  for  murdering  five 
men. 

I  stared  in  at  the  little  scene.  Ellen  Aldridge  was 
still  facing  Kirke.     Her  calm  dignity  was  having  its 


36  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

effect,  even  upon  the  gambler.  I  could  see  that  he  was 
losing  his  mastery  of  the  situation. 

"  I  repeat,  Mr.  Kirke,"  Ellen  Aldridge  said  quietly, 
"  that  I  will  not  pay  you  one  cent."  She  hesitated, 
and  her  voice  wavered  slightly.  "  And  you  —  you 
may  tell  —  whatever  you  like." 

I  suddenly  thought  that  I  saw  a  very  slight  movement 
from  the  red  curtains  at  the  other  end  of  the  little 
room.  I  was  not  sure  whether  I  had  been  mistaken, 
or  whether  there  was  some  other  person  in  the  passage 
beyond,  listening  to  the  conversation  as  I  was  doing. 
I  took  a  step  nearer  the  door,  and  peered  carefully  at 
the  curtains,  but  I  was  unable  to  detect  any  further 
movement. 

Kirke  was  becoming  enraged. 

"  Then,  mark  my  words,  young  woman,"  he  shot 
back  at  her,  "  I  will  tell  it !  You  were  pretty  clever, 
you  three  —  skipping  off  to  Detroit  to  get  away  from 
me!  But  I  told  you  before  you  went  that  I'd  get  you, 
and  get  you  good,  some  day !  I  told  your  brother,  too 
—  and  I'll  do  it!" 

"  And  my  brother  told  you,"  she  returned,  "  that  if 
you  ever  came  into  our  house  again,  he  would  kill  ydu ! 
You  are  too  much  of  a  coward  to  go  to  him  and  talk 
this  way ! " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  37 

She  turned  again,  and  tried  to  pass  him.  He  caught 
her  roughly  by  the  arm. 

"Oh,  no,  you  don't,  my  dear  Ellen!"  His  fingers 
gripped  her  arm  until  she  winced  in  pain.  "  You 
think  you  can  beat  me, —  you  little  she-devil !  " 

I  clenched  my  fists  involuntarily.  Then  a  sudden 
sound  caught  my  attention.  It  vi^as  a  sharp,  quick 
sound,  like  the  startled  in-take  of  some  person's  breath. 
I  had  not  seen  the  young  girl's  lips  move,  and  I  felt 
quite  certain  that  Kirke  had  not  caught  his  breath. 
Had  I  been  again  mistaken,  or  had  the  sound  come 
from  a  point  in  the  other  passage,  just  behind  the  red 
curtains?  I  stared  at  these  curtains,  but  I  could  not 
observe  the  slightest  motion.  I  half  concluded  that  I 
had  made  the  little  gasp  myself. 

Ellen  Aldridge  started  in  outraged  indignation,  and 
struggled  to  free  her  arm  from  his  grasp.  His  fingers 
gripped  her.  With  a  gasp  she  tore  her  arm  away,  and 
struck  him  in  the  face. 

The  coward  cursed  in  rage,  and  struck  back. 

For  an  instant  her  fearless  eyes  met  his  —  a  look 
that  should  have  put  any  man  to  shame.  If  she  had 
had  a  weapon,  I  believe  she  would  have  killed  him. 
Then  I  burst  into  the  little  room. 


38  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  You  rotten  coward,  Kirke !  "  I  shot  at  him.  "  Let 
Miss  Aldridge  alone !  " 

He  turned  with  a  nasty  snarl,  and  swore  at  me. 

"  This  is  none  of  your  business,  Clayton !  " 

"  I'll  make  it  my  business !  "  I  returned. 

For  a  moment  we  glared  at  each  other  in  our  hatred. 

"  Well?  "  he  queried.  "  Just  what  do  you  propose 
to  do?" 

"  I'll  soon  show  you !  "  I  said.  Then  I  sprang  at 
him. 

But  as  I  leaped  forward,  Ellen  Aldridge  caught  my 
arm,  and  held  me  back. 

"  Oh,  you  mustn't,  Mr.  Clayton !  "  she  begged  me. 
"You  mustn't!  We  can't  have  a  disgraceful  scene 
here,  in  Mr.  Copeland's  home !  " 

"  But  I  can't  see  him  strike  you,  and  call  you  what 
he  did !  "  I  protested. 

"  Oh,  please  don't  do  anything !  Please  don't ! " 
She  hesitated,  and  her  blue  eyes  met  mine  in  a  mute 
appeal.  "  You  don't  know  what  he  may  do, — '  and  he 
may  be  armed, —  and  — " 

She  stopped  quickly,  and  stared  toward  the  hall 
door.  I  turned.  Henry  Copeland  and  his  friend 
Endicott  were  in  the  doorway. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  39 

Miss  Aldridge  released  my  arm  with  a  little  catch  of 
her  breath,  and  hurried  past  the  two  men  without  a 
word. 

"  I  heard  what  transpired  after  you  entered  the 
room,  Mr.  Clayton,"  Henry  Copeland  said  quietly. 
"  I  appreciate  your  willingness  to  help  Miss  Aldridge. 
But  you  needn't  upset  yourself  any  longer.  I  shall 
deal  with  Mr.  Kirke." 

"  I'd  like  to  explain,  Mr.  Copeland,"  I  said  quickly. 
"  I  certainly  didn't  create  this  unpleasantness  through 
any  personal  motives.  I  was  out  there  in  the  hall,  and 
I  heard  Mr.  Kirke  insulting  Miss  Aldridge.  I  came  in, 
and—" 

"  I  understand  your  motive  perfectly,"  Copeland  as- 
sured me.  "  You  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Clayton.  I  am 
very  sorry  that  such  a  thing  has- happened  here,  and  I 
hope  you  will  —  forget  it." 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  I  replied,  as  I  left  the  room. 

But  I  had  a  vague  uneasiness, —  a  feeling  that  my 
host  was  not  entirely  satisfied  with  my  explanation. 
He  had  seen  the  annihilating  glance  which  I  had  just 
given  Harrison  Kirke;  perhaps  he  still  believed  that 
the  quarrel  with  Kirke  was  one  of  my  own. 

As  I  drew  near  to  the  living-room  door,  I  paused. 


40  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

The  place  was  almost  empty.  Mrs.  Copeland  was  still 
absent  in  search  of  the  others.  Only  Ellen  Aldridge 
and  Norton  Osgood  were  in  the  room. 

Then,  for  the  second  time  within  ten  minutes,  chance 
made  me  the  half-unwilling  listener  to  a  conversation 
which  was  too  significant  to  be  ignored. 

"Oh,  just  promise  me  you  will  do  it!  "  Ellen  Ald- 
ridge was  saying  to  Osgood. 

"  But  I  —  really  —  I  can't !  "  he  protested. 

"Cant!"  she  repeated.  "  You  said  he  was  one  of 
the  best  subjects  you  ever  tried.  You  said  you  could 
make  him  do  anything !  " 

"Oh,  I  don't  mean  that!"  he  exclaimed.  "Of 
course  I  have  the  power  to  do  it !  But,  don't  you  un- 
derstand? I  —  I  can't.  Why  —  to  make  Mr.  Clay- 
ton do  a  thing  like  that  —  it  isn't  right!  " 

"  Oh,  no,  I  —  I  know  it  isn't,"  Miss  Aldridge  re- 
plied in  a  low  tone.  "  But  I  —  I  —  won't  you  please 
do  it,  just  the  same?  " 

"  But,  think !  "  said  Norton  Osgood.  "  Think  what 
it  would  meani  Why,  under  the  circumstances, — 
why,  I  can't !     It  wouldn't  be  right !  " 

"  Won't  you,  please?  "  she  begged  him. 

"  This  isn't  a  bit  like  you !  "  he  declared  suddenly. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  41 

"  Certainly  you  haven't  thought  of  what  the  conse- 
quences may  be,  if  I  should  cause  Mr.  Clayton  to  —  to 
do  that!     I  know  you  can't  really  want  it !  " 

"  But  I  do!  "  she  almost  whispered. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  he  said  slowly.  "  It's  just  as 
you  wish.     But  I  —  I'm  afraid  you'll  regret  this." 

"  But  you  must  promise  me  you  will  never  tell !  "  she 
exclaimed  quickly.  "  Promise  me !  Never  one  word 
to  any  one !  " 

Osgood  hesitated  an  instant,  and  then  nodded  slowly 
in  assent. 

Mrs.  Copeland  entered  suddenly,  with  Grace  and 
Arthur,  Lucy  Aldridge  and  Fred  followed  them. 
But  I  still  hung  back  in  the  hallway.  My  brain  was 
utterly  confused;  I  wanted  a  moment  to  think. 

What  had  Ellen  Aldridge  been  urging  Osgood  to 
force  me  to  do?  What  demand  of  hers  could  have 
caused  him  to  protest  as  he  had?  I  thought  of  the 
glance  which  she  had  given  Harrison  Kirke  when  he 
had  struck  her.  Like  a  flash,  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts 
to  prevent  it,  a  horrible  thought  came  into  my  mind. 
At  the  same  instant,  the  lawyer's  words  about  heredity 
came  back  to  me.  I  started,  and  forced  the  idea  out 
of  my  mind  as  quickly  as  it  had  come.     I  would  never. 


42  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

even  for  a  second,  hold  such  a  thought  of  her!  I  told 
myself  again  and  again  that  the  notion  was  impossible 
—  absurd. 

But  in  spite  of  all  I  could  do,  the  suggestion  rooted 
itself  in  my  brain.     And  it  stayed  there. 

I  was  still  standing  in  the  hallway  when  Henry  Cope- 
land  and  the  lawyer  came  out  of  the  little  room  where  I 
had  left  them.  They  were  followed  by  Harrison 
Kirke.  There  was  nothing  upon  the  faces  of  the  three 
which  could  indicate  what  had  passed  between  them. 
I  waited,  unobserved,  until  they  had  passed  me;  then 
I  followed  them  into  the  living-room. 

Norton  Osgood  was  waiting  for  the  lawyer.  When 
I  appeared,  however,  he  did  not  seem  as  glad  of  the 
chance  to  hypnotize  me  as  he  had  been  before.  I  saw 
him  give  Kirke  a  look  full  of  hatred,  as  the  gambler 
took  a  chair  near  the  door. 

Arthur  Copeland  said  that  he  had  devised  some 
masterpiece  of  nonsense  which  he  wanted  Osgood  to 
cause  Mr.  Endicott  to  do.  The  others  had  not  been 
told  of  the  nature  of  this  affair,  and  young  Copeland 
did  not  propose  to  tell  them. 

"  Am  I  supposed  to  do  this  at  some  unknown  time 
in  the  future?  "  the  lawyer  questioned,  before  he  took 
his  place  in  the  chair. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  43 

"  At  some  very  definite  time,"  Osgood  replied,  with 
a  slight  smile,  while  Arthur  laughed.  "  I  feel  confi- 
dent that  you  will  all  concede  this  coming  test  to  be 
absolute  proof  that  real  hypnotic  power  does  exist 
and  that  it  can  be  exercised  at  will." 

"  And  remember,"  Arthur  Copeland  added,  "  not 
one  of  the  others  knows  what  you  are  to  do,  or  when 
you  are  to  do  it." 

Endicott  took  his  place,  and  the  hypnotism  began. 
The  first  proceedings  were  exactly  the  same  as  the  ones 
which  I  had  experienced.  When  the  lawyer's  face 
showed  that  he  was  no  longer  conscious  of  his  sur- 
roundings, Osgood  slowly  arose,  still  staring  into  the 
eyes  of  the  man  before  him.  The  motions  of  his  hands 
stopped;  his  low  voice  broke  the  silence. 

"You'll  do  it,"  were  the  words.  "You'll  do  it. 
You  will  repeat  after  me  now.     You'll  do  it." 

As  if  in  the  midst  of  a  dream,  the  lawyer  said,  "  I'll 
do  it." 

And  as  he  said  it,  he  awoke,  and  laughed  at  his 
friends  in  the  room. 

"  You  will  doubtless  think,"  Osgood  said  to  him, 
"  that  my  power  over  your  mind  is  now  at  an  end.  But 
it  is  not  at  an  end.  When  the  time  arranged  for  this 
action  comes,  no  matter  where  you  are  or  what  you 


44  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

are  engaged  in,  you  will  do  what  Arthur  Copeland 
wishes  you  to  do !  " 

"  And  now  for  the  same  kind  of  thing  with  Mr, 
Clayton,"  young  Copeland  said  eagerly. 

I  shuddered  again.  I  almost  thought  that  Norton 
Osgood  shuddered,  too.  But  he  turned  to  me  with 
apparent  willingness. 

"  We  haven't  decided  what  to  make  Mr.  Clayton  do," 
the  banker's  son  reminded  him. 

For  an  instant,  Osgood  hesitated. 

"  Whatever  you  decide  to  have  him  do,"  Fred  Ald- 
ridge  said,  "  it  should  certainly  be  a  secret  from  all 
the  rest  of  us.  That  is  the  only  fair  way;  it  gives  un- 
deniable proof  against  trickery  by  any  of  Mr.  Clay- 
ton's friends,  who  might  spoil  the  experiment  by  giving 
him  advance  information." 

"  A  good  suggestion,  Fred !  "  declared  Henry  Cope- 
land. "  Which  one  of  us  had  better  decide  upon 
thfs?" 

"I  —  er  —  I  believe,"  Osgood  explained  slowly, 
"  that  —  er  —  that  the  matter  has  already  been  decided 
for  me.  One  of  our  number  has  requested  me  to  use 
my  power  over  Mr.  Clayton  for  a  —  er  —  for  a  special 
purpose." 

"  Oh!  "  exclaimed  young  Copeland.     "  Then  you've 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  45 

already  decided  this  with  one  of  us !  Vm  disappointed ; 
I  had  a  wonderful  joke  I  wanted  played  on  him.  But 
who  was  it?  " 

Osgood's  hesitation  this  time  was  more  noticeable 
than  before. 

"  I  was  the  one,"  Ellen  Aldridge  volunteered  quietly. 

They  all  turned  to  her  in  surprise.  She  was  seated 
near  the  fireplace,  beside  Bob  Manning.  There  was  a 
very  slight  flush  upon  her  countenance;  she  was  evi- 
dently conscious  of  this,  for  she  was  trying  to  conceal 
it  by  laughing. 

Manning  turned  to  her  in  open  amazement. 

"  You  asked  him  to  make  George  do  something, 
Ellen  ?  "  he  questioned. 

She  glanced  at  me  —  half  fearfully,  I  thought  —  as 
if  she  would  read  what  I  was  thinking.  I  made  up 
my  mind  not  to  give  any  indication  that  I  had  over- 
heard her  conversation  with  Osgood. 

"  Why,  what  —  what  can  it  be  that  you  would  like  to 
see  me  do  ?  "  I  asked,  apparently  puzzled. 

"  Oh,  it  —  it  is  really  a  very  silly  joke  to  play  upon 
any  one,"  Miss  Aldridge  explained  quickly,  with  an- 
other laugh.  "It's  an  absolutely  foolish  thing;  I 
simply  have  a  longing  to  see  some  one  do  it.  It  is  noth- 
ing of  any  importance,  Mr.  Clayton;  when  you  do  it, 


46  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

you  will  probably  not  realize  that  you  have  done  it." 

Again  she  laughed  slightly.  But  I  was  certain  that 
there  was  something  more  serious  behind  that  laugh  — 
something  which  strengthened  my  conviction  that  her 
real  desire  might  not  be  a  simple,  foolish  joke,  at  all. 

"  This  certainly  sounds  interesting,"  Henry  Cope- 
land  remarked.     "  Let's  have  the  hypnotism." 

There  was  no  way  in  which  I  could  gracefully  avoid 
this  second  test.  I  seated  myself  in  the  chair  before 
Norton  Osgood.  I  was  nervous ;  I  clasped  my  hands, 
to  hide  the  fact  that  they  were  trembling  slightly. 

Norton  Osgood  seemed  as  much  upset  as  I  was.  He 
seemed  almost  unwilling  to  take  the  chair  opposite 
mine.  He  hesitated  several  times,  and  glanced  twice 
at  Ellen  Aldridge.  Then,  drawing  a  deep  breath,  he 
seated  himself,  and  fixed  his  gaze  upon  my  eyes. 

For  a  moment,  his  hands  moved  as  usual.  His 
voice  spoke  to  me  in  low  tones.  Gradually,  I  began  to 
feel  the  strange,  impelling  sensation  which  had  previ- 
ously forced  me  to  obey  his  will.  Then,  suddenly,  his 
voice  broke,  his  hands  clutched  convulsively  at  the  air, 
and,  with  a  gasp,  he  crumpled  up  in  a  heap  in  the 
chair. 

Arthur  Copeland  sprang  forward,  and  supported 
him. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  47 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Mr.  Osgood  ? "  he  cried. 
"Are  you  ill?" 

Osgood  was  apparently  himself  again  in  an  instant. 

"I  —  I  lost  him,"  he  explained.  His  voice  trembled 
slightly.  "  You  mustn't  mind  my  acting  this  way.  I 
always  have  this  kind  of  reaction,  when  I  suddenly 
lose  my  control  over  any  one's  mind.     I'm  sorry." 

"  I  never  saw  anything  like  this  happen  to  you  be- 
fore," declared  Fred  Aldridge. 

Norton  Osgood  hesitated. 

"  Of  course,"  he  explained,  "  this  loss  of  control  is 
only  temporary." 

Again  he  glanced  toward  Ellen  Aldridge. 

"  Do  you  want  me  —  to  —  try  again  ?  "  he  asked 
slowly. 

I  gazed  at  her  intently.  Her  face  was  crimson,  but 
I  could  not  guess  what  thoughts  lay  behind  it. 

"  Please  do !  "  she  answered. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Norton  Osgood.  Then,  unmis- 
takably, he  shivered. 

He  centered  his  gaze  upon  my  eyes.  The  movement 
of  his  hands  began.  I  heard  his  voice.  The  feeling 
which  had  begun  before,  came  anew,  and  increased 
with  every  instant.  Gradually  the  room  and  the  peo- 
ple around  us  began  to  drift  away  into  the  distance. 


48  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

I  put  out  my  hands,  to  clutch  at  them,  and  hold  them 
back,  but  they  all  slipped  farther  and  farther  out  of 
my  reach.  Soon  Osgood  himself  had  disappeared.  I 
still  heard  the  low  tones  of  his  voice. 

Again,  my  brain  and  body  were  in  his  power. 

Then  I  realized  that  some  one  or  something  was 
talking  to  me.  The  words  came  from  somewhere  far 
away,  but  it  was  Osgood's  voice. 

"  You'll  do  it !  You'll  do  it !  "  The  phrase  burned 
its  way  deep  into  my  brain.  "  You  will  repeat  after 
me.     You'll  do  it!" 

I  felt  my  lips  move.  Then,  from  somewhere  far 
away,  my  own  voice  answered,  "  I'll  do  it!  " 

I  heard  a  real,  human  gasp  of  agony  or  terror.  In 
a  flash,  everything  reappeared.  Osgood,  pale  and  al- 
most ghastly,  was  before  me.  The  others  were  laugh- 
ing. 

"  And  you  are  certain,"  the  lawyer  questioned,  "  that 
Mr.  Clayton,  as  well  as  I,  will  do  your  bidding  at  some 
definite  time  in  the  future?  " 

Hoarsely,  fearfully,  Norton  Osgood  answered, 
"  Yes !     He  will !  " 

The  laughing  conversation  of  the  others  began  again. 
But  I  did  not  join  in  with  them.  My  mind  was  still 
far  away,  in  the  power  of  Norton  Osgood.     I  heard 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  49 

the  conversation  going  on  around  me.  But  behind  it 
all,  overmastering  it  all,  v^as  the  phrase  which  still 
ruled  my  whole  consciousness. 

"You'll  do  it!     You'll  do  it!" 

Do  what? 

Again  and  again  I  asked  myself  that  question. 
What  had  Ellen  Aldridge  wanted  me  to  do?  What 
mysterious  command  had  been  given  me  —  to  have 
caused  such  a  terrific  effort  of  will  on  the  part  of  Nor- 
ton Osgood?  Why  was  he  pale  and  unnerved,  after 
he  had  given  me  the  irresistible  incentive  to  do  this 
unknown  thing? 

I  thought  of  Harrison  Kirke's  cowardly  insult  to 
Ellen  Aldridge.  I  remembered  the  blow  which  the 
brute  had  struck  her  arm.  I  remembered  his  devilish 
threat  to  expose  her  sad  secret  to  the  guests  on  the 
morrow.  I  thought  of  the  glances  of  ill-concealed 
hatred  which  the  mysterious  Osgood  had  given  Kirke. 

But  more  alarming  was  the  thought  of  my  own 
hatred  for  the  contemptible  gambler, —  my  wild  longing 
to  rush  into  the  little  room  where  he  had  insulted  Ellen 
Aldridge,  and  to  throttle  him  until  every  last  bit  of 
breath  had  been  driven  from  his  body  —  to  kill  him! 

What  might  the  night  bring  about? 

I  shuddered. 


CHAPTER  III 

"  George,  you've  got  to  stop  worrying  this  way. 
Get  a  good  night's  sleep,  and  you'll  forget  such  ideas." 

Bob  Manning  was  endeavoring  to  reassure  me  as  we 
parted  for  the  night  in  the  hallway  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs.  He  had  been  quick  to  notice  the  terrible  state 
of  mind  into  which  I  had  been  thrown  by  my  second 
hypnotic  test  with  Norton  Osgood.  Though  Man- 
ning could  not  have  guessed  the  real  thoughts  which 
had  done  the  most  toward  upsetting  me,  it  must  have 
been  clear  to  him  that  something  was  very  sadly  wrong 
with  my  usual  mental  calm.  The  hypnotism  had  ap- 
parently had  its  disquieting  effect  upon  him,  also,  but 
Bob  never  gave  a  thought  to  his  own  welfare  when  he 
saw  a  friend  in  trouble. 

His  kindly  words,  however,  failed  to  allay  the  in- 
tangible dread  which  had  been  haunting  me  all  the 
evening,  and  I  was  as  greatly  perturbed  as  ever  when 
we  parted.  Manning's  room  was  near  one  end  of  the 
hallway,  while  mine  was  at  the  opposite  end,  near  the 
stairway.  Between  us  were  the  rooms  occupied  by  Mr. 
Endicott,  Arthur  Copeland,  Fred  Aldridge  and  Har- 
rison Kirke.     I  was  disgusted  when  I  discovered  that 

so 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  51 

Kirke's  room  was  next  to  mine,  on  the  same  side  of  the 
hall,  and  that  there  was  a  communicating  door.  Be- 
tween Kirke's  room  and  Fred  Aldridge's,  another  cor- 
ridor led  to  the  other  rooms. 

I  entered  my  room,  closed  the  hall  door,  and  glanced 
around  the  place.  There  was  nothing  to  revive  my 
spirits.  The  light  from  the  study  lamp  upon  the  little 
table  was  very  dim,  and  slanting  shadows  filled  the 
corners.  The  windows  were  rattling  in  the  February 
storm,  and  the  rain  pattered  at  intervals  against  the 
glass.  I  shivered,  and  turned  on  the  brighter  electric 
light  on  the  wall. 

The  room  was  comfortable  in  size  and  in  furnish- 
ings. There  were  two  small  tables,  a  large  Morris 
chair,  and  several  smaller  chairs.  A  large  fireplace, 
handsome  and  old-fashioned,  faced  toward  the  hall 
door.  The  ashes  of  a  fire  still  glowed  now.  For  a 
moment  I  was  surprised  at  this,  for  I  was  quite  sure 
that  I  had  not  made  any  fire  there  during  the  day.  In 
my  present  state  of  mental  agitation,  nearly  a  half 
minute  passed  before  I  recalled  that  I  had  seen  Arthur 
Copeland  building  one  to  take  the  chill  out  of  the  room 
during  the  afternoon.  Indeed,  I  should  have  remem- 
bered this,  for  it  was  then  that  Arthur  had  showed  me 
the  strange  hollow  space  between  the  bricks  at  the  right 


52  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

of  the  fireplace,  where,  as  a  youngster,  he  had  often 
concealed  things  from  his  sister. 

A  sound  from  the  left  caught  my  attention.  I 
turned,  and  found  Harrison  Kirke  standing  in  the 
doorway  which  opened  between  my  room  and  his. 
He  gave  me  a  defiant  glance,  but  he  did  not  speak.  He 
stepped  quickly  across  the  threshold,  seized  the  door- 
handle, and  retreated,  closing  the  door  tightly  behind 
him. 

In  some  way,  the  feeling  that  the  gambler  was  so 
near  to  me,  in  the  next  room,  with  only  that  door  be- 
tween us,  filled  me  with  a  new,  terrible  apprehension. 
It  was  as  if  all  the  haunting  fears  of  the  evening,  all 
that  unknown  terror  which  I  had  been  unable  to  ex- 
plain, had  now  taken  a  clear,  definite  shape  before 
me. 

"  This  certainly  will  not  do !  "  I  exclaimed  aloud. 

I  strode  quickly  forward  to  the  door,  with  the  in- 
tention of  locking  it.  But  there  was  no  key.  I  leaned 
down  carefully  and  peered  into  the  key-hole,  hoping 
that  there  might  be  one  on  the  other  side  of  the  door, 
but  I  saw  at  once  that  the  tiny  aperture  was  empty. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  leave  the  door  unlocked, 
1  turned  away  in  disgust,  and  began  to  prepare  for  the 
night. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  '53 

My  memory  of  that  part  of  the  evening  has  always 
been  exceedingly  hazy.  In  fact,  there  were  only  two 
things  which  I  have  been  able  to  remember  at  all. 
One  of  these  was  the  fact  that  I  took  one  of  the  pills 
which  I  had  recently  been  taking  for  the  benefit  of  my 
nerves.  I  distinctly  recalled  placing  the  pill-box  —  a 
hollow  wooden  affair  of  cylindrical  shape,  about  five 
inches  long  —  on  the  table  beside  the  bed.  I  also  re- 
membered tossing  my  slippers  on  to  the  chair  near  this 
table,  just  before  I  climbed  into  bed.  Of  the  latter 
fact  I  was  very  certain,  for  the  slippers  were  the  last 
objects  which  I  saw  before  I  put  out  the  light. 

For  a  long  time  I  could  not  sleep.  The  house  was 
quiet.  I  could  not  hear  the  slightest  sound  from  Har- 
rison Kirke's  room,  or  from  any  of  the  other  rooms 
which  opened  into  the  hallway  outside.  But  to  me,  in 
my  sensitive,  over-wrought  condition,  this  silence  was 
ominous  in  its  very  existence. 

I  lived  over  again  the  events  of  the  evening.  My 
brain  automatically  reconstructed  the  conversation  we 
had  had  in  the  room  at  the  end  of  the  hall  downstairs, 
where  Norton  Osgood  had  so  strenuously  declared 
that  there  was  no  limit  in  the  world  which  could  restrict 
his  power  of  hypnotism  —  that  not  even  the  suggestion 
of  crime  could  break  the  control  which  he  held  over 


54  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

those  who  had  placed  themselves  under  his  influence. 
I  could  feel  my  blood  boiling  again,  as  I  thought  of 
Kirke's  cowardly  words  to  Ellen  Aldridge  in  the  little 
room  with  the  red  curtains. 

Then  came  thoughts  of  a  very  different  nature.  I 
thought  of  the  scene  which  had  followed  Kirke's  re- 
marks, when  I  had  confronted  him  in  the  little  writing- 
room.  I  could  almost  feel  the  touch  of  Ellen  Ald- 
ridge's  hand  upon  my  arm,  when  she  had  detained  me 
from  throwing  myself  bodily  upon  the  gambler.  I  re- 
membered the  pleading,  anxious  look  in  her  blue  eyes, 
when  she  had  begged  me  not  to  attempt  to  do  violence. 

Why  had  she  done  that?  Had  she  merely  been 
anxious  lest  I  should  stir  up  trouble  in  the  Copelands' 
household  ?  Or  —  or  had  she  —  could  it  have  been 
possible  that  she  —  I  checked  my  thoughts  abruptly, 
and  gave  a  little,  scornful  laugh  at  my  own  expense. 
For  me,  such  ideas  as  I  had  been  harboring  were  noth- 
ing less  than  preposterous. 

But  in  spite  of  all  my  efiforts,  the  same  question 
came  back  to  me  again  and  again.  Why  had  she  re- 
strained me  with  such  anxiety  ?  She  —  she  had  actu- 
ally said  to  me  there,  just  before  Mr.  Copeland  and 
Mr.  Endicott  had  entered,  that  she  was  in  terror,  lest 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  55 

Harrison  Kirke  might  be  armed.  Had  she  really 
meant  it  —  that  she  was  afraid,  for  my  sake? 

"  This  is  idiotic !  "  I  declared,  almost  aloud. 

I  resolutely  forced  the  impossible  notion  out  of  my 
consciousness.  Of  all  the  wild  ideas  which  I  had 
ever  conceived,  this  one  was  the  craziest,  and  the  most 
unwarranted.  If  for  no  other  reason  than  the  memory 
of  what  I  owed  to  Bob  Manning  —  the  thought  of  the 
man  who  would  so  willingly  have  given  his  life  to  save 
mine  —  I  could  not,  would  not,  entertain  such  fancies 
as  these. 

But  if  it  did  nothing  more,  this  feeling  that  Ellen 
Aldridge  might  care  just  a  little  for  me  —  absurd 
though  it  was  —  helped  to  calm  my  nerves.  For  the 
time,  it  drove  away  the  fears  which  had  been  upsetting 
me.     Before  very  long,  I  was  asleep. 

I  have  never  known  exactly  when  it  was  that  the 
Thing  took  hold  upon  me.  I  only  know  that  it  came. 
I  had  been  dreaming  for  some  time,  and,  strangely 
enough,  my  dreams  had  not  had  the  slightest  connec- 
tion with  any  of  the  party  in  the  home  of  Henry  Cope- 
land.  Then,  suddenly,  without  the  least  warning,  my 
whole  dream  changed.  I  imagined  myself  back  in  the 
room  where,  in  reality,  I  was  sleeping. 


56  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

Gradually,  almost  imperceptibly,  I  began  to  feel  the 
same  sensations  which  I  had  experienced  during  my 
first  hypnotic  experiment  with  Norton  Osgood.  There 
was  that  same  deep,  persistent  longing  to  do  something 
which  was  as  yet  unknown  to  me.  I  made  the  same 
ineffectual  struggle  to  resist  this  unaccountable  feeling. 
Again  and  again  I  felt  the  irresistible,  overmastering 
power  of  the  agency  which  was  ruling  my  brain. 

Then,  as  if  from  the  atmosphere  around  me,  a  voice 
began  to  speak.  Tirelessly,  endlessly,  it  kept  on  in  its 
low,  even  tones.  Bit  by  bit,  the  meaning  of  what  the 
voice  was  saying  began  to  drift  into  my  consciousness. 
The  words  were  always  the  same ;  from  apparently  no- 
where they  came  over  and  over : 

"  You'll  do  it !     You'll  do  it !      You'll  do  it !  " 

And  thus  it  kept  on,  until,  almost  before  I  realized 
it,  I  was  carried  into  the  most  horrible  and  terrifying 
dream  that  I  have  ever  experienced. 

At  first,  I  still  imagined  that  I  was  lying  upon  my 
bed.  I  was  quite  sure  of  this,  for  I  could  still  feel  the 
touch  of  the  pillow  against  my  cheek.  I  could  feel  the 
mysterious  power  urging  me  to  rise.  I  could  feel  my- 
self making  a  vain  resistance  to  the  command.  Then 
—  and  I  never  knew  how  it  came  about  —  I  dreamed 
that  I  was  standing  on  my  feet  beside  the  bed. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  .  57 

The  chairs,  the  tables,  the  fireplace,  and  the  other 
objects  in  the  room  were  clearly  outlined  before  me. 
I  seemed  to  feel  myself  groping  for  my  slippers  in  the 
nearest  chair;  then,  in  a  twinkling,  I  realized  that  I 
had  pushed  my  feet  into  them. 

For  a  moment,  nothing  more  happened.  I  stood 
erect  by  the  side  of  the  bed,  and  waited. 

Then,  I  heard  the  mysterious,  commanding  voice. 

"  You'll  do  it !     You'll  do  it !     You'll  do  it !  " 

Suddenly  I  realized  that  I  was  slowly  moving  some- 
where. I  could  sense  the  motion  of  my  feet  as  they 
carried  me  forward.  Gradually,  steadily,  I  was  mov- 
ing across  the  room,  toward  some  unknown  goal. 
Again  I  tried  to  stop,  and  to  draw  back,  but  I  felt  my- 
self swept  straight  on, —  toward  — 

A  shiver  like  an  electric  shock  brought  me  to  a 
sudden  stop.  I  tried  to  gasp,  and  failed.  My  left 
hand,  groping  in  front  of  me,  touched  something  cold 
and  hard.     I  stared  downward. 

The  thing  that  I  had  touched  was  distinct  before 
my  vision.  It  was  the  handle  of  the  door  to  Harrison 
Kirke's  room ! 

So  that  was  it!  This  was  where  Norton  Osgood's 
terrible  power  had  brought  me !  This  was  the  cul- 
mination of  my  evening  of  nameless  fear!     With  all 


58  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

my  force  of  will  I  tried  to  draw  away  from  that  im- 
locked  door, —  to  cry  out  for  help, —  to  tear  myself 
free  from  the  control  of  the  man  who  had  made  me 
come  this  far.  But  that  other  will,  far  greater  than 
mine,  held  me  terrified  and  helpless. 

What  was  this  thing  that  I  had  been  in  dread  lest 
I  should  do  ?  There  could  be  only  one  answer.  What 
was  my  purpose  now,  before  the  gambler's  door? 
There  could  be  only  one  answer  to  that.  What  was 
it  that  the  unknown  voice  was  still  commanding  me 
to  do?  There  was  only  one  explanation  for  all  this, 
—  and  it  was  terrible  enough  to  freeze  the  blood  in 
my  veins.     /  was  going  to  murder  Harrison  Kirke! 

"  You'll  do  it!     You'll  do  it!     You'll  do  it!  " 

For  the  last  time  I  tried  to  cry  for  help,  but  my 
throat  could  make  no  sound.  And  then  —  I  seized 
the  handle  of  the  door,  turned  it,  and  pushed. 

The  door  stuck. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  flood  of  relief  which  surged 
over  me  when  the  door  failed  to  swing  open  at  my 
push.  It  was  as  if  a  difficulty  of  the  material  world 
had  suddenly  sprung  up  before  me,  to  help  me  out  of 
my  plight. 

But  again  the  master  power  conquered.  I  felt  my 
left  hand  reach  out  to  try  the  door  a  second  time.     For 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  59 

some  reason  which  I  could  not  yet  understand,  it 
was  always  my  left  hand  which  seemed  to  reach  for 
the  door.  My  right  hand  felt  as  though  in  some 
way  it  was  being  held  in  reserve. 

This  time  I  put  my  weight  against  the  door,  and 
pushed.     The  door  failed  to  open. 

But  even  this  obstacle  could  not  withstand  the  will 
of  Norton  Osgood.  All  my  desperate  efforts  —  all 
my  pitiful  struggles  —  were  in  vain.  I  was  driven 
onward,  with  relentless,  inexorable  force. 

I  felt  myself  pushing  against  the  door  for  the  third 
time.  And  now,  without  even  a  scrape  or  a  jolt,  it 
swung  slowly,  noiselessly  backward,  into  the  room  of 
the  man  I  seemed  destined  to  kill.  Anew  there  was 
the  motion  of  my  feet.  Then,  I  was  inside  the  other 
room. 

I  could  see  the  gambler's  bed,  close  beside  the  door. 
Kirke  was  lying  upon  his  side,  asleep,  with  the  back 
of  his  head  toward  me. 

And  still  I  heard  the  fateful  words,  "  You'll  do  it!  " 

But  how  ?  I  had  no  weapon  —  no  possible  means 
of  bringing  death. 

Suddenly,  I  started  in  horror.  I  had  just  awak- 
ened to  the  realization  that  there  was  something  in 
my  right  hand.     It  was  something  of  which  I  had  not 


6o  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

had  the  slightest  consciousness  —  sometliing  hard  like 
wood,  and  round.  I  had  no  knowledge  of  where  the 
thing  had  come  from,  or  of  how  long  it  had  been 
clutched  in  my  fingers.     I  only  knew  that  it  was  there. 

I  drew  the  object  slowly  up  before  my  eyes,  and 
stared  at  it.  I  started  back  in  horror,  and  my  heart 
seemed  to  stop  beating.  I  was  grasping  the  handle 
of  a  knife! 

It  was  a  big  one.  The  blade  was  broad,  and  nearly 
ten  inches  in  length.  I  could  clearly  see  the  vicious 
steel  gleaming  in  the  moonlight  from  the  window. 

And  then,  before  I  knew  what  I  was  about, —  the 
thing  was  done ! 

I  remember  the  fierce  hatred  which  smothered  all 
my  other  feelings  when  I  saw  the  face  of  Harrison 
Kirke  on  the  pillow  before  me.  His  lips  seemed  parted 
in  a  fiendish  smile,  as  though  he  were  deriving  advance 
enjoyment  from  his  anticipated  mental  torture  of  Ellen 
Aldridge  and  her  brother.  Hatred  —  my  own,  real 
hatred  —  was  added  to  the  power  of  the  will  which 
was  driving  me  onward. 

I  felt  the  force  of  the  blow  as  I  struck  downward 
with  the  knife;  I  saw  the  shining  weapon  sink  deep 
into  the  gambler's  side;  I  heard  his  dying  gasp  of 
agony;  I  saw  the  lingering  smile  upon  his  lips  trans- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  6l 

formed  into  a  horrible,  spasmodic  grin.  And  then 
I  was  back,  standing  in  the  doorway  between  the  two 
rooms  —  still  clutching  the  knife-handle  in  my  right 
hand,  while  the  blade  dripped  with  blood. 

The  commanding  voice  was  satisfied  at  last.  I  had 
done  it ! 

But  even  in  this  moment  of  horror,  my  sub-conscious 
mind  did  not  become  panic-stricken.  I  found  that  I 
was  still  able  to  think  clearly  and  quickly.  The  hyp- 
notic power  was  no  longer  exerting  its  influence  upon 
me;  it  had  gone,  leaving  me  free  to  devise  whatever 
means  I  could  of  concealing  the  evidence  of  my  crime. 

Whatever  else  happened,  there  was  one  thing  which 
must  be  done  at  once.  I  must  get  rid  of  the  blood- 
stained knife  without  an  instant  of  delay. 

Even  in  the  midst  of  this  fiendish  nightmare,  I 
was  able  to  recall  definite  facts  in  a  clear,  logical 
manner.  I  suddenly  thought  of  the  hollow  space  be- 
tween the  bricks  inside  the  fireplace  in  my  room. 

I  have  not  the  slightest  remembrance  of  closing  the 
door  between  the  two  rooms.  I  began  to  grope  my 
way  toward  the  fireplace,  still  carrying  the  wicked 
knife  in  my  right  hand.  It  seemed  but  the  work  of 
an  instant  to  find  the  place.  I  felt  cautiously  along 
the  brick  surface  with  my  left  hand,  and  found  the 


62  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

opening  which  led  to  the  cavity.  Then,  pushing  my 
other  hand  through  the  hole,  I  let  go  of  the  knife.  I 
heard  it  drop  into  the  hiding-place  with  a  hollow  sound. 

A  moment  later  I  found  myself  beside  my  bed.  I 
dimly  recollect  that  I  kicked  off  my  slippers  before  I 
climbed  back  between  the  sheets.  Then  I  felt  the 
touch  of  the  pillow  against  my  face. 

Came  the  reaction.  I  began  to  take  in  the  full  mean- 
ing of  what  had  happened.  Five  minutes  previous  to 
this,  I  had  been  lying  there,  exactly  where  I  was  now, 
—  an  innocent  man.  Now  what  had  happened  ? 
What  hideous  thing  had  come  to  me  in  the  few  short 
minutes  while  I  had  been  out  of  bed?  What  was 
I  —  nowF 

A  murderer!  A  man  who  had  snuffed  out  the  life 
of  a  fellow-being  by  the  brutal  stroke  of  a  knife!  A 
man  to  be  despised  and  shunned  by  friends  and  ene- 
mies alike !  One  destined  to  live  in  remorse  and  hor- 
ror as  long  as  life  should  remain, —  or  until  discovery 
should  send  him  to  face  a  jury.  And  after  the  jury? 
The  vision  was  a  horrible  one.  The  grave  judge  with 
his  black  cap, —  that  ominous  cap  which  he  never 
donned  except  on  such  occasions!  The  deadening 
sentence  which  fell  from  his  lips.     And  one  thing  more 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  63 

—  a  terrible  thing,  silent  and  waiting  —  the  electric 
chair!  I  could  already  feel  the  grip  of  the  metal 
electrodes. 

With  a  gasping,  sobbing  moan  I  put  up  my  hands  to 
cover  my  eyes  —  to  shut  out  the  terrible  vision,  and 
hide  my  guilty  features  from  the  world.  But  I  re- 
coiled, as  if  from  the  fangs  of  a  serpent.  My  hands! 
Those  hideous,  murderer's  hands !  They  were  red  — 
deep,  accusing,  burning  red  —  with  the  blood  of  Har- 
rison Kirke! 

With  a  supreme  effort  I  sprang  upright  in  the  bed, 
and  pushed  the  blood-smeared  fingers  out  of  my  sight. 
And  then,  from  the  very  depths  of  my  soul,  there  came 
one  terrible,  demon-like  cry.  I  had  a  vague  sense  of 
trying  to  say,  "  Murder !  "  but  my  throat  would  not 
form  any  intelligible  sound.  I  simply  made  one  long, 
blood-curdling  scream  of  fear  and  anguish.  It  echoed 
through  the  silent  house  —  such  a  cry  as  I  have  never 
heard  before  or  since. 

My  breath  at  last  gave  out,  and  the  echoes  died 
away.  A  sudden  clattering  sound  penetrated  to  my 
half-awakened  consciousness.     I  awoke. 

I  awoke,  I  say, —  awoke,  to  find  the  room  in  calm, 
quiet  darkness.     Outside,  the  wind  still  blew  in  gusts 


64  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

as  the  storm  continued.  I  was  sitting  upright  in  bed. 
Around  me  were  the  familiar  objects  in  the  room, 
—  silent  and  undisturbed. 

And  what  of  my  terrible  journey  into  the  other 
room?  What  of  the  gleaming  knife?  What  of  the 
hideous  crime  which  had  been  blackening  my  soul  ? 

A  dream !  A  senseless  nightmare !  A  ghastly,  ter- 
rifying dream! 

With  a  shuddering  sigh  of  relief  I  sank  back  against 
the  pillow,  and  drew  the  bedclothes  tight  around  my 
shoulders. 

When  I  awoke  again,  it  was  morning.  The  room 
was  bright  with  daylight.  The  rain  was  still  beating 
against  the  window-panes. 

For  several  minutes  I  did  not  remember  the  dream 
that  I  had  had.  It  was  not  until  I  happened  to  glance 
at  the  closed  door  of  Harrison  Kirke's  room  that  the 
whole  afifair  came  back  to  my  mind.  I  shivered  again 
at  the  thought  of  that  horrible  five  minutes  of  agony. 

But  daylight  had  revived  my  peace  of  mind,  and  I 
resolved  that  I  would  never  allow  the  memory  of  the 
nightmare  to  enter  my  head  again.  I  heard  sounds 
of  conversation  from  a  room  downstairs.     It  was  evi- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  65 

dently  almost  time  for  breakfast.  I  arose  to  dress, 
and  felt  for  my  slippers  on  the  chair. 

They  were  not  there. 

Astonished,  I  looked  again.  They  were  on  the  floor 
under  the  bed. 

At  first,  I  was  deeply  puzzled.  I  remembered  dis- 
tinctly that  I  had  placed  them  upon  the  chair,  just 
before  I  had  put  out  the  light,  when  I  had  gone  to 
bed.  Had  some  one  been  in  the  room  during  the 
night  ? 

Then,  suddenly,  my  uncertainty  changed  to  a 
strange,  indescribable  dread. 

I  went  quickly  to  the  door  between  the  two  rooms. 
Apparently  it  had  not  been  touched  since  Kirke  had 
closed  it  on  the  preceding  evening.  I  listened  an 
instant.  Evidently  the  man  had  already  gone  down- 
stairs, or  else  he  was  still  asleep. 

I  was  worried.  There  could  be  no  question  of  that. 
I  could  hardly  wait  to  dress  before  hastening  down- 
stairs, to  make  certain  that  Kirke  was  there.  I  was 
nervous,  and  my  fingers  trembled  slightly  as  I  started 
to  lace  up  my  shoes. 

Suddenly  I  started.  I  stared  at  the  fingers  of  my 
left  hand.     They  were  stained  a  dull  black.     I  exam- 


(£  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

ined  my  shoe,  but  I  saw  that  it  had  not  been  polished 
for  two  days.  This  could  not  be  shoe-blacking. 
But  it  was  clearly,  undeniably  black.  Black  from 
what  ? 

From  the  fireplace? 

I  gasped. 

The  trembling  of  my  hands  was  quite  noticeable 
now.  I  started  towards  the  hall  door,  but  hesitated. 
Another  pill  might  help  me  steady  my  nerves. 

Then  I  received  a  third  shock.  The  round  pill- 
box had  disappeared  from  the  table.  I  searched  under 
the  bed,  under  the  chairs,  and  everywhere.  I  was  un- 
successful. 

My  feeling  was  really  one  of  relief.  Surely  this 
proved  that  some  other  person  had  been  in  the  room 
during  the  night.  What  he  had  wanted  of  my  pills 
was  inconceivable,  but  the  fact  remained  that  some 
one  must  have  removed  them.  Then  the  changing  of 
the  slippers  from  the  chair  to  the  floor  might  also 
have  been  this  unknown  person's  work,  instead  of 
—  instead  of  my  own ! 

But  what  of  the  black  upon  my  fingers? 

I  longed  to  throw  open  Harrison  Kirke's  door,  and 
see  if  he  had  not  already  dressed  and  left  the  room. 
I  longed  to  thrust  my  hand  into  the  hollow  space  in 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  (^7 

the  fireplace,  to  prove  that  it  was  empty, —  that  it 
did  not  conceal  what  I  feared  might  be  there.  But 
I   could   not  —  dared   not  —  do  either. 

I  washed  the  black  from  my  fingers,  and  hurried 
downstairs. 

The  Copelands  were  evidently  waiting  breakfast. 
Everything  seemed  quiet  and  cheerful.  I  saw  at  once 
that  nothing  unusual  could  have  taken  place. 

We  proceeded  immediately  to  the  table.  In  a  vague 
dread,  almost  in  fear,  I  glanced  toward  Harrison 
Kirke's  place  near  the  head  of  the  table.  It  was 
vacant. 

"Arthur,  are  you  certain  that  you  called  Mr. 
Kirke  ?  "  Henry  Copeland  asked. 

"  I  did,"  replied  his  son.  "  I  knocked  loudly  on  his 
door,  and  called  to  him  twice." 

"  How  strange !  "  remarked  Mrs.  Copeland.  "  Had 
we  —  do  you  think  we  had  better  wait  any  longer  ?  " 

Mr.  Copeland  hesitated  an  instant,  and  shook  his 
head. 

"  We'll  begin,"  he  said.  "  He  will  be  down  before 
long." 

But  he  did  not  appear.  Five  minutes  passed;  then 
ten.  We  finished  the  first  part  of  the  breakfast.  My 
fear  increased  with  each  succeeding  minute.     I  felt 


68  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

certain  that  every  one  must  notice  the  shaking  of  my 
hands.     I  was  afraid  that  my  face  was  pale. 

"  Arthur !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Copeland  suddenly,  after 
about  fifteen  minutes  had  elapsed.  "  Kirke  must  be 
asleep !  " 

"  Well,  he  may  be,"  answered  Arthur.  "  But  if 
he  slept  through  that  knocking,  he's  a  wonder !  " 

"  I  can't  understand  it  at  all!  "  declared  Mrs.  Cope- 
land. 

"  Nor  I,  either,"  Mr.  Endicott  said. 

In  spite  of  myself,  I  almost  smiled  grimly.  It  was 
not  likely  that  any  of  them  would  understand  it  — 
except  me.     I  glanced  around  at  the  other  guests. 

Grace  Copeland  seemed  a  trifle  puzzled,  but  appar- 
ently she  was  only  too  glad  that  Kirke  was  absent  from 
the  table.  Fred  Aldridge  showed  absolute  indifference 
to  the  whole  matter.  Ellen  Aldridge  was  apparently 
a  little  more  concerned,  but  her  sister,  Lucy,  was 
chatting  unconcernedly  with  Bob  Manning.  Only 
Norton  Osgood  displayed  anything  unusual. 

At  each  mention  of  Harrison  Kirke,  I  was  certain 
that  I  could  catch  an  indescribable  expression  upon 
Osgood's  face.  It  was  a  thoughtful,  expectant  ex- 
pression—  as  though  he  might  be  waiting  for  some- 
thing. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  69 

At  the  head  of  the  table,  Mrs.  Copeland  and  the 
lawyer  were  openly  puzzled.  Mr.  Copeland  evidently 
now  shared  their  perplexity. 

"  Arthur,"  he  said  quickly,  "  do  run  up  and  see  what 
—  see  why  he  doesn't  come  down  to  breakfast." 

**  All  right,  Dad."  Young  Copeland  arose,  and 
hurried  up  the  stairs. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  half  minute  of  silence  which 
followed.  No  one  spoke.  All  were  waiting, —  wait- 
ing. We  heard  Arthur's  footsteps  in  the  hall  above. 
There  was  the  sound  of  his  loud  knocking.  A  silence 
followed.  He  knocked  again.  There  was  another 
silence.  Then  we  heard  the  slight  squeak  of  a  door  as 
it  was  opened.  We  heard  Arthur  take  several  steps 
into  the  room. 

The  long  silence  which  came  now  was  terrifying, — 
menacing.     Then  — 

"  Great  God !  "  came  Copeland's  voice  from  the  room 
above. 

We  heard  him  as  he  stumbled  down  the  stairs. 
With  one  accord,  we  turned  to  stare  at  his  face  as  he 
entered  the  dining-room.     He  was  deathly  pale. 

"Arthur!"  cried  his  father.  "Arthur!  What  is 
it?" 

"  Harrison  Kirke  is  —  dead !  "  replied  Arthur  Cope- 


70  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

land.  "  He  has  been  murdered^  with  a  knifq  wound  in 
his  side ! " 

So  that  was  it !  In  my  horror  I  half  arose,  pale  and 
shaking,  from  my  chair.  That  was  the  real  meaning 
of  my  frightful  "  nightmare !  "  That  was  how  my 
slippers  had  been  changed,  and  how  I  had  received  the 
black  smudge  upon  my  fingers!  /  had  done  it!  / 
had  crossed  the  room,  and  /  had  slain  Harrison  Kirke! 

I  thought  of  the  lawyer's  argument.  Once  and  for 
all,  I  had  proved  his  words  untrue.  What  now  of 
the  absolute  powerlessness  of  hypnotism  in  the  pres- 
ence of  contemplated  crime?  What  now  of  the  "  hyp- 
notic limit  "  ?     /  had  broken  it ! 

And  what  of  Norton  Osgood  ?  I  turned  and  stared 
at  him.  The  others  in  the  room  were  startled,  shocked, 
horrified.     He  alone  was  calm  and  resigned. 

With  the  desperation  of  a  drowning  man,  I  clutched 
out  at  the  last  straw  of  hope  that  remained  for  me, 
—  the  last  bit  of  reasoning  and  logic  which  stood 
between  me  and  a  murderer's  fate.  It  was  simply 
this.     The  knife! 

Where  had  I  found  the  knife?  There  had  been 
no  weapon  in  my  room  when  I  had  gone  to  bed.  If 
this  whole  dream  of  mine  had  been  real,  then  I  must 
have  carried  out  my  work  according  to  the  events 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  71 

in  the  nightmare.  That  was  in  accordance  with  all 
laws  of  hypnotism.  But  I  had  certainly  never  dreamed 
of  leaving  my  room  in  search  of  a  knife. 

As  if  in  a  flash  of  prophetic  vision,  I  foresaw  that 
my  whole  case  would  depend  upon  that  one  question. 
Where  had  I  got  the  knife? 

I  suddenly  felt  some  one  grasp  my  arm.  It  was 
Bob  Manning. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  sit  down,  George !  "  he  ex- 
claimed in  a  low  tone.  "  You're  as  pale  as  a  sheet,  and 
they're  beginning  to  look  at  you." 

I  dropped  back  into  a  chair  beside  my  friend.  As 
though  in  a  dream,  I  heard  the  stunned  exclamations 
of  the  others.  I  saw  Mr.  Copeland  and  the  lawyer 
hurrying  up  the  stairs. 

But  all  these  things  were  like  the  happenings  of 
another  world.  I  heard  and  saw  them  all,  but  my 
terrified  brain  could  not  grasp  their  meaning.  I  saw 
Ellen  Aldridge  looking  at  me,  and  I  tried  to  be  natural 
again.  But  my  mind  was  too  full  of  sickening  dread. 
I  stared  straight  past  her,  into  space. 

Foreboding,  uncertainty,  terror  —  all  these  had  fled 
now.  In  their  place,  black  horror  had  rushed  in.  It 
was  complete,  overpowering  horror,  deadening  my  con- 
sciousness to  all  that  went  on  in  the  room.     And 


^2  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

through  it  all,  there  rang  in  my  ears  again  and  again 
that  staggering,  crushing  question: 
Was  I  a  murderer? 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  few  minutes  which  followed  the  discovery  ot 
the  murder  of  Harrison  Kirke  were  filled  with  excite- 
ment and  consternation  for  the  members  of  Henry 
Copeland's  household.  Copeland  and  Mr.  Endicott 
had  rushed  upstairs  immediately  after  Arthur's  star- 
tling announcement  of  the  tragedy,  and  they  were  soon 
followed  by  Mrs.  Copeland  and  Grace.  Arthur  Cope- 
land,  suddenly  deciding  that  his  mother  and  sister 
must  not  see  the  grewsome  sight  in  Kirke's  room, 
raced  up  the  stairs  after  them.  Within,  five  minutes 
the  house  was  in  an  uproar.  The  general  confusion 
soon  spread  to  the  servants,  who  could  be  heard  dis- 
cussing the  affair  in  excited  whispers. 

I  saw  and  heard  but  little  of  this.  My  brain  was 
too  busy  with  its  own  thoughts..  I  had  suddenly  come 
to  the  conclusion  that,  whether  or  not  I  had  actually 
stabbed  Harrison  Kirke,  I  was  not  morally  guilty  of 
his  murder.  If  Norton  Osgood's  hypnotic  power  had 
forced  me  to  leave  my  bed  and  commit  thia  ghastly 
crime,  then  Norton  Osgood,  not  I,  should  pay  the 
penalty  for  it. 

73 


74  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

But  I  realized  that  it  would  be  no  easy  matter  to 
bring  home  the  real  guilt  to  Osgood.  Juries  are  not 
likely  to  acquit  one  man  and  convict  another,  with- 
out any  other  evidence  than  an  almost  incredible  theory 
of  hypnotism.  If  I  could  hope  to  clear  myself  of  guilt, 
I  must  first  find  tangible  proof  against  the  real  mur- 
derer. 

My  whole  subsequent  course  of  action  depended 
upon  the  fact  that  I  did  not  consider  myself  guilty 
of  the  murder  of  Kirke,  even  if  I  had  actually  driven 
the  knife  into  his  side.  Clearly,  then,  since  I  could 
not  be  held  actually  guilty,  it  was  not  my  duty  to 
inform  Henry  Copeland  or  the  police  of  my  suspicions 
concerning  the  strange  part  which  I  had  played  in 
the  tragedy.  If  they  wished  to  learn  the  truth  about 
the  mysterious  mission  which  Norton  Osgood  had 
transmitted  to  my  brain,  or  about  my  own  horrible 
sensations  when  the  hypnotic  power  had  taken  hold 
of  me  in  the  night,  they  must  find  it  out  for  them- 
selves. I  resolved  to  keep  absolute  silence  concerning 
the  whole  affair.  This  was  my  only  hope  for  safety. 
If  I  had  not  left  damaging  clues  somewhere  during 
my  sleep-walking,  I  might  escape  suspicion,  after  all. 

Henry  Copeland  and  the  lawyer  remained  in  the 
room  upstairs   for  several  minutes.     At   length  we 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  75 

heard  Mr.  Copeland's  voice  at  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

"  Arthur,"  he  called,  "  telephone  police  headquarters 
at  once !  " 

But  Arthur  Copeland  had  left  the  dining-room  with 
his  mother  and  sister.  Mr.  Copeland  did  not  repeat 
his  request.  For  a  moment,  we  all  stared  helplessly 
at  each  other.     Then  Fred  Aldridge  arose. 

"  I'll  do  it,"  he  said. 

But  he  was  so  nervous  that  he  could  not  find  the 
number  in  the  telephone  directory.  His  hands  shook 
as  he  brought  in  the  book  from  the  hall.  He  turned 
the  pages  aimlessly.  All  the  rest  of  us  seemed  in 
about  the  same  condition.  At  length  he  gave  up  look- 
ing for  the  number. 

"  I  don't  even  know  where  to  look  for  it,"  he  said, 
with  a  helpless  gesture. 

Ellen  Aldridge  arose  quickly  to  assist  him.  Bob 
Manning  was  ahead  of  her. 

"I'll  find  it,"  he  said  to  Fred  Aldridge.  "You 
go  back  and  sit  down." 

Manning  quickly  found  the  number.  In  a  few 
clear,  concise  sentences  he  informed  the  sergeant  on 
duty  that  Harrison  Kirke  had  been  murdered  during 
the  night  in  the  home  of  Henry  Copeland,  and  that 
the  identity  of  his  murderer  was  unknown. 


76  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

'*  He  is  going  to  send  men  right  down,  with  a  de- 
tective," Manning  told  us,  as  he  hung  up  the  receiver. 

The  poHce  came  within  half  an  hour.  Copeland 
and  the  lawyer  had  not  disturbed  anything  in  the 
room  of  the  slain  man,  and  the  police  were  careful 
to  see  that  nothing  was  touched  until  after  the  arrival 
of  the  coroner. 

Coroner  Andrews  put  in  an  appearance  in  the  course 
of  an  hour.  He  was  accompanied  by  Detective  Harry 
Gray,  a  local  man  who  had  made  quite  a  name  for 
himself  by  his  work  on  murder  cases.  The  detective 
was  short  and  wiry,  with  a  brisk,  energetic  manner. 

He  at  once  startled  Henry  Copeland  by  giving 
orders  that  no  person  should  be  allowed  upon  the 
second  floor,  in  any  room  whatsoever,  until  he  and 
his  men  had  completed  a  careful  investigation. 

"  That  shall  be  just  as  you  wish,  Mr,  Gray,"  Cope- 
land replied,  as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  from  his 
surprise.  "  You  may  consider  yourself  as  being  in 
complete  charge  of  my  home,  until  this  dreadful  affair 
has  been  solved." 

The  detective  thanked  him,  and  proceeded  upstairs. 
It  was  nearly  noon  before  he  returned.  The  hours 
seemed  longer  than  days,  while  we  waited  below  in 
feverish  anxiety. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  tj 

What  had  I  done  in  my  dream  that  could  betray 
me?  I  asked  myself  that  question  again  and  again. 
What  tell-tale  slip  had  I  made,  which  might  reveal 
my  secret  to  the  poHce? 

About  half-past  eleven,  Harry  Gray  returned  to  the 
living-room,  and  informed  us  that  his  preliminary 
search  had  been  completed. 

"  Does  that  mean  that  we  may  again  use  the  floor 
above?"  asked  Mrs.  Copeland. 

"  It  does,  madam,"  answered  Gray,  "  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Mr.  Kirke's  room,  and  of  the  room  immediately 
adjoining  his." 

Copeland  was  surprised. 

"You  mean  Mr.  Clayton's  room?"  he  questioned. 

"  I  don't  know  whose  room  it  is,"  the  detective 
replied.  "  But  I  should  like  to  be  able  to  use  it  as  a 
sort  of  temporary  headquarters.  Its  nearness  to  the 
dead  man's  room  makes  it  unusually  convenient  for 
us." 

He  paused  an  instant,  and  then  went  on. 

"  The  report  which  I  have  to  make,  Mr.  Copeland," 
he  said,  "  will  probably  be  very  unpleasant  and  startling 
to  you.  But  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  what  I  have  to 
say.  As  you  know,  Mr.  Kirke  was  stabbed  in  the 
left  side  with  a  knife  during  the  night    The  door 


78  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

to  his  room  from  the  hall  was  unlocked.  All  the  out- 
side doors,  and  all  the  windows,  were  securely  fas- 
tened this  morning.  We  have  made  certain  that  there 
is  no  other  possible  means  of  entering  this  house  from 
the  outside." 

He  paused,  as  if  to  let  us  grasp  the  full  significance 
of  his  words. 

"  It  follows,  then,"  he  went  on  slowly,  "  that  the 
person  who  killed  Harrison  Kirke  was  one  of  the 
inmates  of  this  house !  " 

We  were  not  startled.  We  had  all  foreseen  that  this 
was  coming.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  one  or  two  of  the 
party  glancing  fearfully  into  the  faces  of  the  others. 

"  Of  course,"  the  detective  added  hastily,  "  that  does 
not  mean  that  I  am  thinking  of  accusing  any  of  you. 
What  about  the  servants?  " 

"  The  servants,"  Henry  Copeland  answered  slowly, 
"  I  could  not  possibly  suspect.  We  have  had  them 
all  in  the  house  for  years.  Besides,  there  could  not 
be  the  slightest  motive  for  any  of  them." 

"Then  the  servants  are  practically  eliminated," 
Harry  Gray  went  on.  "  I  am  sure  you  can  all  see 
exactly  what  this  fact  means.  It  means,  beyond  the 
least  shadow  of  doubt,  that  the  murderer  of  Mr.  Kirke 
is  one  of  the  party  in  this  house." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  79 

We  were  all  silent.  The  truth  was  too  terrible  for 
words. 

"  I  trust,  Mr.  Copeland,"  Detective  Gray  said  slowly, 
"  that  the  realization  of  this  regrettable  fact  will  not 
prevent  you  from  giving  me  all  the  assistance  which 
may  lie  in  your  power." 

"  No,  it  will  not ! "  Henry  Copeland  answered  at 
once.  "I  —  I  shall  certainly  do  my  best  to  aid  you 
at  all  times." 

He  turned  to  the  others  in  the  room. 

"  I  am  sure  you  all  feel  the  same  way,"  he  said  to 
us.  "  I  admit  that  it  will  be  exceptionally  hard  for 
us  to  look  at  it  in  this  way,  for  I  believe  that  we 
all  know  how  richly  Harrison  Kirke  deserved  the  fate 
which  has  come  to  him." 

Our  faces  showed  that  we  agreed. 

"  But  this  is  not  the  time  to  consider  Harrison 
Kirke's  character,"  Mr,  Copeland  declared.  "  It  can 
not  make  the  slightest  difference  now  what  kind  of 
man  he  was.  The  fact  remains  that  he  has  been  mur- 
dered, in  this  house,  by  one  —  by  one  of  us !  We  can- 
not allow  the  guilty  party  to  take  the  law  into  his 
own  hands  as  he  has  done.  Justice  must  be  meted 
out;  we  n^ust  discover  the  party  who  has  done  this 
crime ! " 


8o  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

**  Your  attitude  is  most  reasonable,"  the  detective 
commented.  "  The  words  which  I  am  speaking  now 
are  addressed  to  whomever  one  of  you  is  guilty  of  this 
crime.  Would  it  not  be  simpler, —  would  it  not  result 
in  a  far  lighter  sentence  for  you,  when  you  are  arrested, 
as  you  inevitably  will  be, —  if  you  should  admit  now, 
once  and  for  all,  that  you  are  the  one  who  has  killed 
Mr.  Kirke?" 

There  was  a  long  silence.  I  smiled  grimly.  How 
could  the  murderer  be  expected  to  confess,  when  he 
was  not  yet  sure  that  he  was  a  murderer?  It  was 
certainly  a  unique  situation.  I  glanced  toward  Nor- 
ton Osgood.  He  was  silent,  and  his  face  was  express- 
ionless. 

"  Very  well,"  the  detective  said  at  length.  "  We 
will  continue,  then,  in  our  course  of  discovering  the 
guilty  person." 

He  paused  again,  and  glanced  quickly  around  the 
group. 

"  Perhaps,  Mr.  Copeland,"  he  suggested,  "  you 
would  be  willing  to  introduce  the  members  of  this 
party  to  me.  I  should  like  to  be  able  to  know  them 
by  name." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  banker.  He  turned  to 
those  beside  him.     "  This  is  Mrs.  Copeland,  Mr.  Gray. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  8i 

And  this  young  man  is  my  son,  Arthur  Copeland." 

"  And  —  you  said  that  these  guests  were  here  for 
the  wedding  of  your  daughter?"  questioned  Detec- 
tive Gray. 

"  Yes,  This  is  Miss  Grace  Copeland,  beside  Mrs. 
Copeland." 

**  And  the  young  gentleman  whom  she  is  to  marry  ?  " 
Gray  asked. 

"  I  am  he,"  answered  Fred  Aldridge.  "  My  name 
is  Frederick  Aldridge.     I  live  in  Detroit." 

He  had  recovered  his  self-composure,  and  was  able 
to  speak  in  a  calm  and  collected  manner. 

"  These  are  my  sisters,"  he  continued,  "  Miss  Ellen 
Aldridge,  and  Miss  Lucy  Aldridge." 

Detective  Gray  turned  to  Mr.  Endicott. 

"  I  believe  I  have  met  you,  sir,"  he  said.  "  You  are 
Mr.  David  Endicott,  the  lawyer  ?  " 

"  Correct,"  answered  Endicott. 

"  This  includes  every  one,  I  believe,"  the  detective 
remarked,  "  except  these  two  gentlemen  by  the  fire- 
place.    May  I  inquire — " 

"  This  gentleman  nearest  the  door  is  Dr.  Robert 
Manning,  of  New  York,"  Henry  Copeland  explained. 

Manning  turned  to  me. 


82  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  This  is  my  friend,"  he  told  the  detective,  "  Mr. 
George  Clayton,  also  of  New  York." 

"  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  all  you  gentlemen,"  De- 
tective Gray  said.  "  This  knowledge  should  be  of 
great  assistance  to  me.  Now,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
all  my  investigations  must  inevitably  tend  toward  the 
arrest  and  conviction  of  one  of  you,  it  may  seem  out 
of  place  for  me  to  ask  for  your  help  on  this  case.  But 
I'm  afraid  I  shall  be  forced  to  do  so  again,  and  also, 
perhaps,  many  times.  I  should  like  to  have  more  than 
Mr,  Copeland's  opinion  on  this  matter.  I'd  like  you 
all  to  tell  me  whether  you  think  I  have  any  right  to 
ask  you  to  assist  me." 

He  hesitated. 

"  I  think  we're  all  agreed  that  it  is  our  duty  to  help 
you,"  Arthur  Copeland  said. 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  Bob  Manning  agreed. 

"  Then  none  of  you  can  see  any  reason  why  I  should 
not  ask  this  of  you?  " 

He  paused.     There  was  a  short  silence. 

"  We  cannot  see  any  possible  reason,"  Norton  Os- 
good said. 

The  detective  turned  to  him  in  surprise. 

"  I  think  I  must  have  overlooked  you,  sir! "  he  ex- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  83 

claimed.  "  I  certainly  don't  remember  having  spoken 
to  you  before." 

"  Well,  it  doesn't  make  any  particular  difference," 
Osgood  replied,  with  a  slight  smile.  **  My  name  is 
Norton  Osgood.     My  home  is  in  Detroit." 

"  Oh,  in  Detroit,"  remarked  the  detective.  "  Then 
you  probably  came  with  Mr. —  er  —  with  this  gentle- 
man who  is  beside — " 

"  Yes,"  explained  Osgood.  "  I  came  with  Mr.  Ald- 
ridge." 

**  Thank  you.  Now,  in  regard  to  the  help  which  I 
think  you  may  be  able  to  give  me.  First  of  all,  I 
will  question  you  in  regard  to  last  night." 

He  seemed  to  be  trying  to  read  the  faces  of  his 
listeners. 

"  Mr.  Kirke's  room,"  he  went  on  slowly,  "  is  lo- 
cated quite  near  several  rooms  which  were  occupied 
last  night.  Now,  you  will  readily  see  that  for  any 
person  to  commit  a  murder  in  that  room,  surrounded 
by  a  number  of  other  people,  without  making  some 
sound  which  could  be  heard,  is  a  feat  which  requires 
a  great  deal  of  cleverness  and  skill.  The  question 
which  I  am  going  to  ask  is  this :  Did  any  of  you  hear 
the  slightest  sound,  however  seemingly  insignificant, 
at  any  time?" 


84  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

There  was  another  short  silence. 

"  I  did,"  repHed  Henry  Copeland. 

"  I  think  I  did,  too,"  said  his  son. 

"  At  the  time,"  Mr.  Copeland  continued,  "  I  did 
not  think  anything  of  it.  But  I  remember  now  that 
it  awoke  me  from  a  sound  sleep.  It  was  a  long, 
terrified  scream, —  a  man's  voice,  I  think.  I  thought 
then  that  some  one  was  awakening  from  a  nightmare." 

"  That's  just  what  I  thought,  too,"  Arthur  Copeland 
added. 

Mrs.  Copeland,  Ellen  Aldridge,  Mr,  Endicott,  and 
several  others  remembered  that  they  had  heard  such 
a  scream.  It  had  been  made,  they  all  thought,  at  some 
time  well  toward  morning.  They  had  all  thought  the 
same  thing  —  that  the  sound  had  been  made  by  some 
one  who  was  awakening  from  a  terrifying  dream. 

The  explanation  of  all  this  was  not  any  mystery  to 
me.  I  knew  well  that  I  was  the  one  who  had  made 
the  sound.  For  a  moment  I  thought  rapidly.  I  had 
resolved  not  to  give  the  detective  the  slightest  inkling 
of  my  horrible  experience  during  the  night.  But  this, 
surely,  was  a  different  matter.  That  scream  might 
eventually  be  traced  to  me.  The  fact  that  I  had  not 
owned  up  to  it  would  tell  against  me. 

"  That  sound,"  I  said  slowly,  "  was  mine.     I  made 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  85 

it  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  worst  nightmares  I  have 
ever  had." 

"  Oh !  "  the  detective  said,  with  interest.  "  You  are 
Mr.  Clayton,  I  believe.  Your  room,  then,  was  the  one 
next  to  Mr.  Kirke's." 

I  shivered.  Instinctively,  I  felt  that  that  little  shiver 
had  helped  my  case  more  than  any  words  could  have 
done. 

**  It  must  have  been  horrible ! "  exclaimed  Henry 
Copeland. 

"  It  was  a  terrible  dream ! "  I  answered.  "  I  re- 
member that  I  tried  to  cry  out,  but  I  never  knew  until 
now  that  I  had  succeeded." 

"  I  heard  you,"  Bob  Manning  said  quickly.  "  My 
room,  you  remember,  was  at  the  opposite  end  of  the 
hall  from  yours.  I  heard  the  scream,  and  I  thought 
I  recognized  your  voice.  I  thought  perhaps  your 
dream  was  still  going  on.  I  would  have  got  up  and 
come  in  to  you,  if  I  had  heard  you  again." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  was  going  to  do,"  Mr.  Endi- 
cott  remarked.  "  I  did  not  recognize  the  voice  as  Mr. 
Clayton's,  but  I  felt  sure  that  some  one  was  having 
a  nightmare.  I  was  on  the  point  of  getting  up,  when 
I  heard  some  one  else  going  to  quiet  him." 

Gray  was  surprised. 


86  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"Did  any  one  come  to  you,  Mr.  Clayton?"  he 
questioned. 

"  Why,  no !  "  I  answered  quickly. 

"  But  Mr.  Endicott  says  that  he  heard  — 

"  I  am  not  certain  of  that,"  the  lawyer  interrupted. 
"  Immediately  after  the  scream,  I  thought  I  heard 
soft  footsteps  in  the  hall  outside.  I  supposed,  natu- 
rally, that  some  one  was  going  to  quiet  the  person 
who  was  having  the  nightmare." 

"  Did  any  of  you  other  people  hear  those  footsteps?  " 
demanded  Gray. 

"  I  didn't,"  replied  Arthur  Copeland. 

"  I  heard  only  the  scream,"  said  Bob  Manning. 

"  And  you,  Mr.  Copeland  ?  "  asked  the  detective. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Copeland  shook  their  heads. 

"  Very  strange,"  Gray  commented.  "  Mr,  Endicott, 
are  you  sure  that  you  did  not  imagine  the  steps  ?  " 

"  I  can  only  repeat  that  I  am  not  positive  of  this," 
replied  the  lawyer. 

Henry  Copeland  started. 

"  Can  it  be,  Mr.  Gray,"  he  demanded,  "  that  you 
are  trying  to  —  that  you  believe  that  the  scream  was 
not  made  by  Mr.  Clayton  at  all,  but  by  Mr.  Kirke,  and 
that  the  footsteps  were  those  of  the  murderer?  " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  87 

"  Not  so  fast,  I  beg  you,  Mr.  Copeland !  "  the  detec- 
tive expostulated. 

"  I  don't  believe  any  such  theory  is  possible,"  de- 
clared Bob  Manning.  "  I  am  quite  certain  that  the 
voice  was  Clayton's.  I  have  known  him  a  good  many 
years,  and  I  could  hardly  mistake  his  voice." 

"/  am  quite  sure  it  was  Mr.  Clayton,  too,"  Ellen 
Aldridge  agreed.  "  At  the  time,  I  felt  sure  it  was  his 
voice." 

"  As  for  me,"  said  Gray,  "  I  am  not  willing  to  believe 
that  the  voice  could  have  been  any  other  than  Mr. 
Clayton's.  Especially  since  Mr.  Clayton  remembers 
that  he  tried  to  cry  out.  We'll  drop  this  point  for 
the  present,  until  my  men  have  made  a  more  thorough 
search  for  possible  clues  upstairs.  There  is  one  more 
question  that  I  want  to  ask.  Who  discovered  the 
crime  ?  " 

"  I  did,"  answered  Arthur  Copeland.  "  We  had 
been  waiting  breakfast  for  Mr.  Kirke  for  some  time. 
At  length  I  went  up  to  see  where  he  was." 

"  You  did  not  see  any  knife?  " 

"  There  was  none  in  the  room,  unless  it  was  con- 
cealed," replied  young  Copeland. 

"  Very  well.  Who  else  saw  the  body,  except  the 
police,  before  I  came?" 


88  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Mr.  Endicott  and  I  went  up  as  soon  as  Arthur 
discovered  the  murder,"  Henry  Copeland  informed 
him,  "  We  are  quite  certain  that  there  was  no  weapon 
in  the  room.  Mr.  Kirke  was  lying  upon  his  right 
side.  The  knife  had  been  driven  into  his  left  side. 
and  probably  went  through  the  heart." 

"  Correct,"  agreed  Gray.  "  Then,  unless  the  guilty 
person  left  the  house  after  committing  the  crime,  he 
must  either  have  thrown  the  knife  from  a  window, 
or  have  concealed  it  somewhere  in  the  house." 

"  The  latter  seems  far  more  probable,"  remarked 
Mr.  Copeland. 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  declared  the  detective.  "  We 
are  going  to  make  a  careful  search  of  all  the  rooms 
which  we  have  not  yet  searched.  The  criminal  would 
hardly  be  foolish  enough  to  hide  such  a  thing  in  his 
own  room.  Besides,  we  have  just  gone  over  all  the 
rooms  which  were  occupied  last  night.  That  is  all, 
for  the  present,  Mr,  Copeland.  I'll  report  to  you  as 
soon  as  we  find  anything  definite." 

He  hurried  out  to  give  further  orders  to  his  men. 
Most  of  the  party  were  beginning  to  feel  confidence 
in  the  ability  of  the  little  detective  to  solve  the  problem 
which  had  so  suddenly  confronted  us. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  89 

"  I  think  he's  a  splendid  man  for  such  a  case  as  this," 
declared  Grace  Copeland, 

"  He's  good,  all  right,"  Fred  Aldridge  agreed.  "  He 
keeps  things  hustling,  and  he  gets  his  results." 

But  Henry  Copeland  shook  his  head  slowly. 

"I  —  I  don't  believe  he  has  a  chance,"  he  said. 
"  He  is  quick  and  methodical,  I  know,  but  I'm  afraid 
it  will  take  something  more  than  that  to  solve  this 
afifair." 

"  Why,  Dad,  what  makes  you  think  that?  "  his  son 
demanded. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  the  elder  Copeland  answered. 
"  I  simply  have  that  feeling.  It's  a  reasonable  one, 
too.  Whoever  has  done  this  crime  is  clever.  We 
know  he  must  have  been  clever.  He  will  fight  for  his 
life.  Even  though  this  criminal  is  one  of  us,  we  want 
him  brought  to  justice,  you  know.  We  could  never 
be  happy,  all  our  lives,  if  we  had  to  realize  that  some 
one  of  us  was  an  unpunished  murderer.  And  I  — 
I'm  afraid  Gray  will  never  succeed." 

"  But,  father  ?  "  Grace  was  astonished.  "  Who 
else  could  we  find, —  any  better  than  he  is?  " 

*'  Well, —  never  mind,  now,"  replied  Mr.  Copeland. 
**  I'll  let  Gray  keep  on,  for  the  present." 


90  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  We  might  help  him  out,"  suggested  the  lawyer, 
"  if  any  of  us  have  ever  tried  detective  work." 

"  That's  a  good  idea,"  declared  Mr.  Copeland. 
"  Mr.  Osgood,  how  about  you  ?  I  should  think  you 
might  be  able  to  do  wonders  in  that  line." 

"  Why, —  er  —  I  have  done  a  little,"  Osgood  ad- 
mitted. "  In  Detroit,  several  times,  I  have  made  use 
of  hypnotism  for  the  detection  of  crime.  But  in  a  mys- 
tery so  baffling  —  so  absolutely  unaccountable  —  as 
this,  I  don't  imagine  I'd  be  of  much  use." 

"  Still,  you  might  try,"  the  lawyer  suggested  hope- 
fully. 

I  suddenly  turned  to  Bob  Manning. 

**  You  used  to  be  interested  in  detective  work,  years 
ago,"  I  reminded  him.  "  You  were  mighty  good,  too! 
Why  don't  you  try  ?  " 

Manning  laughed. 

"  Yes,  do  try.  Dr.  Manning,  if  you  were  ever  at  all 
good  at  it !  "  Mr.  Endicott  urged. 

"  Why,  of  course,  if  you  really  want  me  to,"  my 
friend  replied.  "  But  I'm  really  afraid  you'll  find  me 
a  laughable  kind  of  detective.  I  never  attempted 
anything  serious  of  that  kind,  in  my  life." 

I  was  more  hopeful.  I  had  mentioned  Manning's 
ability  with  a  deliberate  purpose  in  mind.     When  Nor- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  91 

ton  Osgood  had  agreed  to  help  Gray  in  whatever  way 
he  could,  I  had  foreseen  that  he  would  do  his  utmost 
to  fasten  the  guilt  upon  me.  With  Bob  Manning's 
efforts  opposed  to  Osgood's  there  would  be  much  less 
chance  of  the  hypnotist's  success  in  incriminating  me. 

It  was  a  weird  tangle  indeed.  Here  was  Detective 
Gray,  who  should  have  been  told  all  the  inside  facts 
of  the  case,  working  in  the  dark.  Osgood,  who  had 
given  me  the  incentive  to  commit  the  crime,  had  a  full 
knowledge  of  all  that  had  happened,  and  was  ready 
to  do  his  best  to  send  me  to  the  electric  chair.  I  real- 
ized that  nothing  but  the  skill  of  Bob  Manning  could 
save  me  from  the  fate  of  a  murderer. 

Even  now,  I  was  not  sure  that  I  had  done  the  crime. 
There  were  three  great  questions  in  my  mind.  Above 
all  else,  these  must  be  answered  to  my  own  satisfaction 
before  I  could  hope  to  wage  open  battle  with  Osgood. 

Had  I  killed  Harrison  Kirke,  or  had  I  dreamed  it 
all?  Did  Norton  Osgood  believe  that  I  had  done  it  at 
his  bidding?  And  if  I  had  not  slain  Kirke, —  who 
had? 


CHAPTER  V 

Shortly  after  one  o'clock  that  afternoon,  I  found 
a  chance  to  talk  to  Bob  Manning  alone.  We  were  in 
the  living-room,  Mr.  Copeland  had  gone  upstairs 
with  Detective  Gray.  I  half  expected  that  they  would 
return  any  minute. 

"  Bob,"  I  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  have  something 
to  tell  you.     It's  something  important." 

Manning  glanced  up  quickly,  surprised  by  my  grave 
manner. 

"  Something  important?  "  he  repeated,  slowly. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  *'  But  I  can't  tell  you  here. 
We  must  go  somewhere  where  we  are  certain  to  be 
alone." 

For  a  moment  he  stared  into  my  face,  as  though 
he  would  read  my  thoughts.     Then  he  arose. 

"  Very  well,  George,"  he  said  quietly.  "  We'll  go 
into  another  room.     Come." 

We  went  out  into  the  hall.  At  the  entrance  to  the 
little  room  with  the  red  curtains.  Manning  paused. 

"How  about  this  room  here,  if  you  want  to  be 
alone?  "  he  questioned. 

92 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  93 

I  hesitated.  My  experience  in  that  little  room  on 
the  preceding  evening  had  been  a  strange  mixture 
indeed.  But  that  part  of  my  story  I  had  determined 
never  to  tell,  even  to  Bob  Manning. 

"  All  right,"  I  agreed.     "  In  here." 

We  went  inside  the  little  room.  It  was  the  first 
time  that  I  had  been  so  near  the  red  curtains.  They 
were  much  thicker  and  heavier  than  I  had  imagined 
—  not  at  all  likely  to  be  swayed  by  a  breath  of  wind. 

I  well  knew  that  no  one  except  Manning  must  hear 
what  I  was  going  to  tell.  I  turned  to  close  the  door 
from  the  hallway.  But  Manning  had  already  care- 
fully latched  it. 

I  sat  down  in  a  chair  by  the  writing-desk.  My 
friend  stood  in  silence  near  the  door.  Again  his  eyes 
met  mine  in  a  long,  questioning  glance.  For  a  min- 
ute, I  was  unable  to  say  anything.  There  was  an 
interval  of  tense  waiting.  Then  Manning  came  for- 
ward slowly,  and  seated  himself  in  a  chair  opposite 
mine, 

"  Well,  George?  "  His  voice  was  low,  and  a  trifle 
unnatural.     "  What  is  it  ?  " 

I  hesitated.     His  manner  was  perplexing  me. 

"Perhaps  you  —  have  guessed  it  already,"  I  said. 

He  was  silent  an  instant. 


94  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Perhaps,"  he  replied  finally.  "  It's  —  in  regard 
to  Kirke,  I  suppose." 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  Instinctively,  almost  fearfully, 
I  glanced  toward  the  hall  door. 

He  did  not  show  any  surprise.  He  was  thoughtful 
for  a  moment. 

"  I  understand,"  he  said. 

"  But  you  don't  understand,  at  all !  "  I  declared.  "  I 
see  now  what  you  think.  You  think  I've  been  holding 
back  some  information  from  Gray,  so  that  you  could 
solve  the  case  before  he  does.  But  that  isn't  it !  I've 
been  holding  back  information  because  I  was  —  afraid 
to  tell  it!" 

"  Afraid !  "  Manning  was  astounded.  "  Afraid  of 
—  what?" 

"  Don't  you  understand  now  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  certainly  don't!  "  he  declared. 

"  Bob.     It  —  it's  merely  this :  I  think  /  did  it  1 " 

My  friend  started. 

"You!"  he  gasped.  'Tow  — did  what?  What 
do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean,"  I  answered,  "  that  I  think  I  killed  Har- 
rison Kirke !  " 

"  George !  "     He  seized  my  arm  in  amazement  and 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  95 

consternation.  "  George,  you  must  be  crazy  I  What 
on  earth  can  you  mean  by  this  nonsense?  " 

"  I  think  I'm  the  one  who  did  it,"  I  repeated. 

"  This  is  idiotic !  "  Manning  exclaimed.  "  You  — 
think  you  did  a  murder !     It's  the  craziest  notion  — " 

"  Wait !  "  I  checked  him.  "  You  must  understand 
what  I  mean!  I  think  Norton  Osgood  made  me  do 
it,  through  his  hypnotic  power,  in  the  night!  " 

"  0-oh !  "  Manning's  face  showed  sudden  compre- 
hension.    "  Oh !     I  see  your  meaning,  now !  " 

"  You  remember  last  night,"  I  went  on,  "  how  Os- 
good said  he  could  have  unlimited  power  over  me. 
You  saw  him  hypnotize  me  the  second  time.  You  saw 
how  pale  and  shaken  he  was,  just  after  he  had  done  it. 
I  tell  you,  Bob,  he  made  me  kill  Kirke !  And  —  I 
did  it!" 

"  That's  all  very  true.  No  doubt,  he  did  hypnotize 
you  with  some  such  intention.  But  how  do  you  know 
you  did  it?  " 

"  Because  I  dreamed  it  all !  "  I  answered. 

"  Dreamed  what  ?  "  he  asked, 

"  I  dreamed  the  whole  ghastly  thing,  from  start 
to  finish!  At  some  time  toward  morning,  I  felt  that 
power  take  hold  of  me  again  —  that  same  power  that 


96  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

made  me  take  the  ring  out  of  the  book  last  night.  The 
first  thing  I  knew,  I  dreamed  I  was  out  of  bed,  cross- 
ing the  room.  And  then  I  felt  myself  trying  to  open 
Kirke's  door.     I  kept  pushing  on  it,  until  finally  — " 

"  Pushing  on  it !  "  Manning  cut  in  suddenly.  "  You 
mean  —  it  stuck  ?  " 

"  Yes ! "  I  answered.  "  I  tried  and  tried  to  keep 
myself  from  trying  again  to  open  it.  But  I  was  forced 
to  try  —  twice  more.     And  then  it  opened !  " 

I  paused,  with  a  shudder. 

"And  —  then  what?"  Bob  Manning  questioned,  in 
a  low  tone. 

"  And  then  I  —  I  —  Oh !"  I  gasped.  "  The  knife ! 
All  at  once  I  felt  a  knife  in  my  hand !  And  then  I 
did  it !     I  stabbed  him  to  the  heart, —  and  he  died !  " 

"  Wait !  "  said  Manning,  tensely.  "  You  never  had 
any  knife  in  your  room  last  night.  Where  did  you 
get  it?" 

"I  —  I  don't  know.  I  only  know  that  it  suddenly 
came  there,  in  my  hand." 

"Nonsense!"  exclaimed  Manning.  "If  you  had 
any  knife  at  all,  you  got  it  somewhere.  You  dreamed 
this  whole  business.     What  became  of  it?  " 

"  Oh !  "  I  suddenly  remembered.  "I  —  hid  it,  in 
the  fireplace ! " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  97 

"  In  the  fireplace !     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  dreamed  I  did !  "  I  told  him.  "  I 
dropped  it  into  a  hollow  space,  behind  the  bricks  on 
the  right-hand  side." 

"Look  here,  George!"  Manning  grasped  my  arm. 
"  All  this  is  nonsense  —  crazy  nonsense !  You  never 
killed  Kirke!" 

"  But  I  —  I'm  certain  I  was  out  of  bed  in  the 
night!" 

Manning  was  startled. 

"  How  do  you  know?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I'll  prove  it  to  you,"  I  answered.  "  Last  night 
I  left  my  slippers  on  the  chair  beside  the  bed.  This 
morning  they  were  on  the  floor.  And  this  morning 
my  left  hand  was  black  with  soot  —  from  hiding  the 
knife  in  the  fireplace !  " 

My  friend  was  silent  in  thought. 

"  Now,"  I  demanded,  "  what  am  I  to  do?  " 

"  Do  nothing !  "  Manning  answered  instantly. 

"  You  mean  — " 

"  I  mean  that  you  are  to  keep  silence  about  this ! 
Absolute  silence!  You  know,  and  I  know,  that  you 
never  killed  Kirke !     Then  there  is  no  reason  — " 

"  But  I  don't  know  that !  "  I  exclaimed. 

*'  You  do  know  it !  "   Bob  Manning  contradicted. 


98  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  You  did  not  kill  Harrison  Kirke !  I  am  as  certain 
of  that  as  I  ever  was  of  anything  in  the  world.  Now 
you  keep  quiet,  and  give  me  a  chance  to  — " 

"  But,  Bob !  "  I  interrupted.  "  There's  a  chance 
that  I  may  have  done  it!  I'm  almost  certain  that  I 
did!" 

"  It  won't  take  me  long  to  prove  to  you  that  you 
didn't!" 

"How?"  I  demanded. 

"  I  am  going  to  look  in  that  fireplace !  "  Manning 
answered.  "  As  soon  as  the  detective  is  through  with 
your  room  up  there,  I  am  going  to  prove  that  you 
never  had  any  knife  at  all!  But  meanwhile,  you  be 
careful.  If  they  should  once  find  some  reason  to  sus- 
pect you,  and  some  one  should  remember  the  way 
you — "     He  stopped. 

"The  way  I  what?" 

Manning's  face  had  suddenly  become  grave. 

"  Nothing,"  he  replied.  "  Don't  worry.  But  in 
heaven's  name,  don't  give  them  a  chance  to  suspect 
you!  If  they  should,  and  some  one  should  remember 
that, —  we'd  have  a  terrible  time  getting  you  clear  of 
this!" 

"  I  don't  see  that  I  have  a  chance  anyway ! "  I  de- 
clared, with  a  helpless  shudder.     "I  —  I  suppose  I 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  99 

might  as  well  tell  the  whole  business  to  the  detective, 
and  let  him  decide  — " 

"  You'll  do  nothing  of  the  kind !  "  my  friend  com- 
manded. "  You  are  absolutely  innocent  of  this  crime, 
and  I  mean  to  prove  it." 

I  was  silent.     He  placed  his  hand  on  my  shoulder. 

"  George,  stop  worrying,"  he  urged  me.  "  There's 
nothing  for  you  to  be  afraid  of.  I  want  you  to  re- 
member that.  You  couldn't  possibly  be  convicted  of 
this  murder." 

**  There  is,  if  the  real  criminal  remains  undiscov- 
ered," I  protested.     "  And  suppose  I  am  the  one." 

"  Ifou  are  not! "  Bob  Manning  said  again.  "And 
the  real  murderer  will  be  discovered,  long  before  the 
least  suspicion  can  be  pointed  toward  you." 

I  could  only  hide  my  face  in  my  hands,  in  horror 
and  despair. 

"  Please  believe  me,  George !  "  my  friend  begged  me, 
as  he  arose.  "  You  trust  me  —  and  I'll  get  you  out 
of  this." 

He  turned  quickly  toward  the  door. 

"  Are  you  —  going  up  to  look  now  ?  "  I  questioned, 
nervously. 

"  If  your  room  is  empty,"  he  answered.  "  If  the 
detective  is  still  there,  I'll  come  back  right  away." 


lOO  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

I  did  not  raise  my  head.  I  heard  him  open  the 
door,  and  go  out. 

For  several  minutes  I  waited  for  him  to  return.  I 
reahzed  that  the  whole  question  of  my  guilt  or  inno- 
cence would  hang  upon  the  point  which  my  friend  had 
gone  out  to  determine, —  whether  or  not  I  had  actually 
used  a  real  knife  during  the  night. 

The  house  was  ominously  quiet.  I  could  barely 
hear  the  footsteps  of  the  detectives.  The  minutes 
passed,  and  Bob  Manning  did  not  return. 

At  length  I  heard  a  door  close.  It  was  not  from 
the  direction  from  which  I  had  been  expecting  it.  The 
sound  was  from  the  lower  floor,  from  some  point  near 
the  room  where  I  was  waiting.  It  was  as  if  the 
heavy  latch  of  an  outside  door  had  closed. 

I  waited  in  silence.  Suddenly,  I  heard  the  sound 
of  a  soft  footstep  in  the  hall  doorway.  Some  one 
entered  the  room.  I  felt  instinctively  that  the  ques- 
tion was  to  be  settled  once  and  for  all.  I  could  not 
summon  courage  to  raise  my  head,  for  fear  of  what 
I  might  learn. 

"  Was  it  there  ?  "  I  asked  in  a  hoarse  whisper. 

There  was  a  silence. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  tell  me,  and  have  it  over !  "  I 
exclaimed.     "  Did  you  find  it  —  in  the  fireplace  ?" 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  loi 

I  turned  in  nervous  impatience,  and  looked  up. 
Ellen  Aldridge  was  standing  in  the  doorway. 

She  was  staring  at  me  in  open  amazement.  Her 
eyes  met  mine  in  a  half-frightened  questioning,  as 
she  saw  the  dread  and  horror  depicted  upon  my  coun- 
tenance. 

"  Why  —  why,  Mr.  Clayton,"  she  faltered.  "  I  — 
I  can't  imagine  what  you  mean !  " 

"  Oh,  I  —  I  beg  your  pardon.  Miss  Aldridge !  "  I 
said  hastily.  "I  —  it  must  have  sounded  strange  — 
the  things  I  just  said.  I  hope  you  —  I  really  can't 
explain  them.  I  didn't  have  any  idea  it  was  you  who 
had  entered.     I  thought  it  was  —  I  mean  — " 

I  stopped  in  despair.  All  that  I  could  say  would 
only  serve  to  give  my  previous  questions  a  worse  mean- 
ing. Her  face  told  me  the  terrible  thought  which  she 
was  trying  to  put  out  of  her  mind. 

"  Mr.  Clayton !  "  she  said  suddenly.  "  You  —  you 
seem  horribly  upset.     What  can  be  the  trouble?  " 

"  I  really  can't  explain,  Miss  Aldridge!  "  I  repeated. 
"  The  fact  is,  I  —  I  am  upset.  But  I  don't  believe 
I  can  tell  you  why." 

"  Whatever  it  may  be,  I  am  very  sorry,  Mr,  Qay- 
ton,"  she  said.  "  If  there  is  anything  I  can  do  to 
help  you,  I  hope  you  will  let  me  know." 


I02  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  That's  very  kind  of  you,  I'm  sure,"  I  replied. 

She  turned  toward  the  door,  but  hesitated.  For  a 
moment  she  stood  there  irresolute.  Then  she  returned 
quickly,  and  seated  herself  in  the  chair  which  Bob 
Manning  had  occupied. 

"  Mr,  Clayton,"  she  said  quietly,  "  there  is  some- 
thing which  I  feel  I  ought  to  tell  you.  You  realize 
that  I  overheard  you  at  the  door  just  now.  I  —  I 
didn't  understand  what  you  were  talking  about,  and 
I  still  don't  see  what  it  all  meant.  But  I  —  I  couldn't 
help  wondering  if  it  could  have  been  anything  in  con- 
nection with  —  with  Mr.  Kirke," 

I  was  silent,  for  I  could  not  think  of  anything  to 
say. 

"  I  hope  you'll  excuse  me  for  saying  this,"  she  added 
quickly.  "  I  didn't  for  a  minute  mean  to  suggest  that 
you  could  have  had  any  connection  —  I  really  didn't, 
Mr.  Clayton!     I  only — " 

"  I  certainly  understand  that  you  didn't,  Miss  Ald- 
ridge !  "  I  assured  her,  "  I  can  see  how  absolutely 
meaningless  my  words  must  have  seemed.  And  I  — 
I  suppose  I  had  better  explain  them  to  you." 

She  did  not  reply.  My  brain  was  in  a  turmoil,  as 
I  debated  whether  or  not  I  should  tell  her  my  secret. 
My  first  thought,  I  reflected,  had  been  that  I  must  tell 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  103 

my  trouble  to  Bob  Manning.  Was  there  any  reason 
why  I  should  not  entrust  it  to  this  girl  as  well  ?  There 
was  certainly  no  one  whom  I  would  rather  be  able  to 
trust  than  Ellen  Aldridge. 

"  Miss  Aldridge,"  I  said  slowly,  "  you  weren't  in 
the  room  last  evening  while  we  were  discussing  hypno- 
tism." 

She  shook  her  head.  I  hesitated  again  before  I 
continued. 

"  We  were  talking,"  I  went  on,  "  about  the  possible 
use  of  hypnotism  in  —  in  crime." 

Ellen  Aldridge  gave  a  visible  start. 

"  Mr.  Clayton !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  You  don't  — • 
you  couldn't  mean  — "     She  checked  herself. 

"  Let  me  finish  the  sentence  for  you,"  I  said  quietly. 
"  This  is  what  I  mean.  Your  brother  has  evidently 
known  Mr.  Osgood  for  some  time.  Do  you  know  of 
the  least  reason  that  Mr.  Osgood  could  have  for  — 
for  hating  Harrison  Kirke  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  she  answered  quickly,  with  sudden 
comprehension.  "  Mr.  Osgood  told  Fred  last  night 
that  he  remembered  Mr.  Kirke,  and  that  he  had  hoped 
he  would  never  see  him  on  earth  again.  What  his 
reason  was  for  feeling  that  way,  I  don't  know." 

"  That  explains  it,  then,"  I  said. 


104  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  But,  Mr.  Clayton !  I  don't  understand  what  you 
mean!     You  can't  believe — "     She  stopped  again. 

"  Your  surmise  is  quite  correct,"  I  informed  her. 
"  I  believe  that  Mr.  Norton  Osgood  forced  me  to  kill 
Harrison  Kirke !  " 

"  Mr.  Clayton !  "  She  drew  back  in  horror.  "  I 
can't  believe  it!     I'll  not  believe  it!     You  didn't!" 

"  I  —  I'm  afraid  I  did." 

"  But  it's  impossible !  "  she  declared.  "  Science  has 
proved  that  crime  is  beyond  the  power  of  hypnotism!  " 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  "  I  demanded. 

"  Why  —  why,  Fred  has  told  me.  You  couldn't 
have  done  it,  Mr.  Clayton!  There  is  no  power  in 
the  world  that  could  ever  make  you  do  such  a  thing !  " 

"  I  only  wish  I  could  feel  that  way,  myself ! "  I 
said.  "  I  know  it's  against  the  laws  of  science  that 
Osgood  could  have  been  able  to  make  me  do  such  a 
thing.  But  it  wasn't  only  —  there  was  more  than  his 
hypnotic  power  urging  me  to  do  it." 

"  I  don't  understand !  "  declared  Ellen  Aldridge. 
"  You  don't  mean  that  you  had  some  motive  of  your 
own ! " 

"  Why,  of  course  I  did !  "  I  answered.  "  I  hated 
the  man,  with  all  my  heart!  You  must  have  forgot- 
ten, Miss  Aldridge !     I  heard  what  he  said  to  you,  you 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  105 

remember,  and  I  saw  what  he  did,  in  this  room,  last 
evening!  " 

I  have  never  been  able  to  see  wherein  I  said  too 
much  at  that  moment.  It  may  be  that  in  my  over- 
wrought state  of  mind  my  words  were  spoken  a  little 
more  earnestly  than  I  realized.  I  have  never  thought 
of  it  since  without  being  a  little  sorry  that  I  was  not 
more  careful  —  more  hesitant.  Had  I  only  been  so, 
how  much  of  all  that  followed  could  have  been  pre- 
vented ! 

I  suddenly  realized  that  Ellen  Aldridge's  eyes  were 
gazing  into  mine,  with  a  look  that  I  could  not  under- 
stand. 

"  I  wasn't  sure  that  it  really  mattered  to  you,  Mr. 
Clayton, —  what  he  said  to  me,"  she  said,  in  a  low 
voice. 

Her  tone  puzzled  me,  but  I  supposed  that  it  was 
merely  because  of  gratitude  for  my  willingness  to  de- 
fend her  against  the  gambler. 

"  Of  course  it  matters,"  I  answered.  "  I  couldn't 
hear  him  talk  to  you  as  he  did !  " 

"  It  —  it's  very  wonderful  of  you  to  feel  that  way, 
-—  Mr.  Clayton." 

I  glanced  at  her  in  quick  surprise.  She  put  out  her 
hand,  and  grasped  mine. 


io6  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  And  I'm  going  to  do  everything  I  can  to  help  you," 
she  said  slowly. 

For  an  instant  I  was  too  stunned  to  say  anything. 
The  total  unexpectedness  of  the  thing  fairly  took  my 
breath  away.  The  room  seemed  turning  in  circles. 
I  was  certain  that  I  had  not  said  anything,  nor  given 
her  reason  to  understand  anything,  which  should  have 
caused  this. 

In  the  first  few  seconds  I  was  unable  to  realize  any- 
thing except  that  my  foolish  dreams  of  the  preceding 
night  had  come  true.  But  after  that  first  moment, 
reason  returned.  I  began  to  see  the  shocking  injustice 
of  the  affair  which  I  was  allowing  to  take  place, —  the 
enormity  of  the  wrong  which  I  was  about  to  do  to 
Bob  Manning.     I  withdrew  my  hand  from  hers. 

"  I'm  quite  sure  that  you  must  have  misunderstood 
me,  in  some  way,  Miss  Aldridge,"  I  found  myself 
saying.  "  I  certainly  didn't  intend  —  I'm  sure  I  didn't 
give  you  any  reason  — " 

"  Oh,  I  understand,"  she  interrupted  suddenly.  "  I 
didn't  judge  by  what  you  said,  Mr.  Clayton.  It  was 
because  of  —  of  what  I  thought  you  were  afraid  to 
say.     I  see  my  mistake." 

"  But  you  weren't  mistaken,"  I  told  her,  in  spite  of 
myself.     "I  —  I  do  care  a  great  deal  for  you." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  107 

I  had  no  sooner  said  the  words  than  I  would  have 
given  anything  in  the  world  to  have  been  able  to  recall 
them, 

"  But  I  know  you  must  understand ! "  I  declared 
suddenly.  "  All  this  is  impossible !  It's  absurd ! 
And  I'm  sure  I  couldn't  have  given  you  any  reason 
to  think — " 

I  stopped,  with  a  little  start.  I  glanced  toward  the 
doorway,  but  the  hall  seemed  vacant.  I  had  half 
imagined  that  I  had  heard  quiet  footsteps,  and  the 
closing  of  a  door.  In  an  instant  came  the  thought 
of  what  it  would  mean  if  some  one  should  overhear 
this.  What  if  Bob  Manning  should  return?  What 
if  some  one  else  should  come,  and  should  fail  to  un- 
derstand that  I  had  not  been  the  one  to  blame  for  it? 
I  must  put  an  end  to  this  situation  at  once,  and  in 
such  a  manner  that  my  friend  could  never  learn  what 
had  taken  place.  That  was  the  most  appalling  thought 
of  all  —  the  return  of  the  man  who  was  upstairs  try- 
ing to  save  me  from  the  fate  of  a  murderer  —  the 
same  man  who  had  faced  the  onslaught  of  a  score  of 
African  savages,  willingly  offering  his  life  so  that  he 
might  save  mine. 

"  Miss  Aldridge,"  I  said  earnestly,  "  surely  you  must 


io8  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

see  how  impossible  this  is !  Certainly  you  must  under- 
stand — " 

"  But  I  really  don't  understand ! "  she  Interrupted 
again.     "  Why  —  why  is  it  impossible  ?  " 

"  I  can  hardly  believe  that  you  don't  see  why !  "  I 
answered.     "  You  have  promised  Bob  Manning  — " 

"But  I  — I  wish  that  I  hadn't!" 

"  What  did  you  say  ?  "  I  demanded,  in  open  aston- 
ishment. 

"  I  said  that  I  wish  now  I  hadn't  promised  him 
anything,"  she  answered,  with  a  little  smile.  "I  —  I 
promised  him  about  a  year  ago,  when  I  was  lonely  and 
unhappy,  and  when  no  one  in  the  world  was  ever  kind 
to  me,  except  Bob.  And  I  hope  I  can  always  have 
him  as  a  friend;  he's  been  so  splendid,  with  all  of  us. 
But  I  wish  I  had  never  promised  him  anything  else." 

She  was  becoming  more  of  a  mystery  to  me  every 
minute. 

"  How  long  have  you  wished  this?  "  I  managed  to 
ask. 

"  Since  —  since  day  before  yesterday,"  she  answered 
quietly. 

I  was  silent.  I  was  heartily  sorry  now,  and  I  was 
not  sure  that  the  whole  affair  had  not  been  my  fault. 

"I  —  I  don't  know  what  he  will  do,"  she  went  on, 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  109 

"when  I  tell  him  this.  I'm  really  afraid;  perhaps  — 
I  had  better  not  tell  him  yet." 

"  You  needn't  be  afraid  of  what  he  will  do,"  I 
answered.  "  For  I  know  Bob  Manning's  character. 
The  thing  to  be  afraid  of,  is  what  he  will  think  of  me." 

"  Oh,  I  must  tell  him,"  she  said  quickly.  "  And 
I'll  explain  to  him  that  it  hasn't  been  your  fault  at  all." 

She  hesitated  an  instant.  "  But  I  —  I  don't  see 
how  I  can  ever  dare  to  speak  about  it." 

"  There  needn't  be  any  reason  for  you  to  speak  about 
it!"  I  told  her  firmly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  everything  shall  be  exactly  as  it  was 
before,"  I  answered.  "  I'll  forget  this,  and  you'll  for- 
get it,  and  —  we'll  let  it  drop,  right  now." 

"But  I  couldn't!     I  couldn't!" 

There  was  no  doubt  in  my  mind  now  that  she  was 
in  earnest. 

"  You  must !  "  I  declared.  "  It's  the  only  way  we 
can  be  fair  to  Bob  Manning.  He's  the  finest  friend 
any  man  ever  had,  and  I've  got  to  be  on  the  level 
with  him.  Promise  me  that  you'll  never  think  of  this 
again.     Promise  me,  please !  " 

"  I'll  try !  "  she  answered  softly. 

I  arose.     I  had  firmly  resolved  upon  the  only  course 


no  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

which  could  possibly  be  followed  under  the  circum- 
stances, and  I  dared  not  stay  in  the  room  any  longer, 
lest  my  determination  should  weaken. 

I  went  out  into  the  hall,  half  intending  to  start  up- 
stairs and  learn  what  had  been  keeping  my  friend  so 
long.  I  reasoned  that  he  must  have  found  Detective 
Gray  busy  in  my  room,  and  had  thus  not  been  able  to 
investigate  the  fireplace.  But  the  sound  of  voices  in 
the  living-room  caught  my  attention.  I  went  in,  and 
found  Manning  there  with  Mr.  Copeland  and  his  son. 

I  took  my  first  opportunity  to  speak  to  my  friend 
alone. 

"  What  did  you  find  ?  "  I  asked  cautiously.  "  Was 
it  there?" 

"  I  don't  know,  yet,"  Manning  answered  quickly. 
"  When  I  went  up  to  your  room,  the  detective  was 
there,  and  I  didn't  dare  go  near  the  fireplace.  He 
looked  at  me,  too,  as  if  he  wondered  what  I  was  doing 
up  there  in  the  hall." 

"  What  can  I  do  now  ?  "  I  questioned. 

"  You'd  better  look  for  it  yourself  in  a  few  minutes," 
he  replied.  "  He  won't  think  it  strange  for  you  to 
be  in  your  own  room.     But  I'd  better  not  try  it  again." 

I  made  up  my  mind  to  take  his  suggestion  at  the 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  iii 

first  favorable  opportunity.  But  Detective  Gray  did 
not  come  downstairs  until  after  four  o'clock,  and  it 
was  not  until  nearly  five  that  all  his  men  had  finally 
left  the  murdered  man's  room.  By  that  time,  Gray 
himself  had  a  discovery  to  report  which  drove  all 
thoughts  of  the  fireplace  out  of  my  head  for  the  mo- 
ment. 

I  happened  to  be  in  the  living-room  when  Gray  came 
in  and  spoke  to  Mr.  Copeland. 

"  Mr.  Copeland,  we  have  made  one  discovery,"  he 
announced.     We  all  gathered  around  at  once. 

"  It  is  concerning  the  knife  which  the  criminal  used," 
the  detective  continued. 

"You've  found  it?"  demanded  Henry  Copeland. 

"  No,  we  haven't,"  was  the  answer.  "  But  we've 
found  where  it  came  from.  Your  servants  have  told 
me  that  there  have  always  been  two  large  knives, 
about  eight  inches  in  length,  in  the  pantry.  This 
morning,  I  am  told,  one  of  those  knives  was  missing. 
That  shows  clearly,  Mr.  Copeland,  that  the  murderer 
obtained  his  weapon  from  the  pantry  last  evening." 

"  It  seems  unquestionable,"  the  banker  agreed. 

"  The  only  question  about  it  is  the  following,"  pur- 
sued the  detective.     "  Did  he  get  it  in  the  early  eve- 


112  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

ning,  or  was  it  much  later,  after  all  had  retired?" 

"  Do  you  consider  that  part  of  the  question  im- 
portant?" asked  Norton  Osgood. 

"  Not  especially,"  replied  Gray.  "  There  can  be  no 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  one  that  this  crime  was 
premeditated.  The  very  nature  of  the  murder  shows 
that.  The  only  question  is,  did  the  guilty  person  plan 
the  deed  in  the  early  evening,  and  plan  for  it  accord- 
ingly, or  did  that  person  resolve  upon  the  crime  after 
he  or  she  had  retired?  " 

"  I  can't  see  that  it  would  make  much  difference, 
either  way,"  Fred  Aldridge  remarked. 

*'  Well,  it's  just  this.  If  the  murder  was  not  planned 
at  least  several  hours  in  advance,  the  guilty  person 
must  have  got  up  from  bed  and  come  down  to  the 
pantry  for  the  knife,  during  the  night.  I  intend  to 
have  the  stairway,  kitchen,  and  pantry  examined  for 
finger  prints.  It  is  not  likely  that  we  shall  find  any- 
thing there,  for  the  servants  have  been  busy  around 
the  place  all  day.     However,  we  are  going  to  try." 

After  promising  to  report  any  further  progress,  he 
again  left  the  room.  I  saw  that  my  chance  to  investi- 
gate the  fireplace  had  come. 

But  I  simply  did  not  have  the  nerve  to  go  up  to  my 
room  and  look.     I  was  terrified  by  the  realization  of 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  113 

how  much  the  question  of  the  knife  was  really  going  to 
mean.  The  knowledge  that  the  weapon  had  come 
from  the  pantry  had  been  a  distinct  shock  to  me. 
By  what  possible  means  could  it  ever  have  come  into 
my  grasp  as  I  had  made  my  way  across  the  room  in 
the  night?  I  was  absolutely  certain  that  I  had  not 
been  near  the  pantry,  nor  even  as  far  as  the  upper 
hallway.  It  must  mean  that  the  whole  incident  of  the 
knife  had  been  a  dream.  Yet  I  did  not  dare  to  look 
in  the  fireplace. 

For  nearly  an  hour  I  struggled  with  myself,  trying 
to  overcome  the  cowardice  which  was  keeping  me  from 
going  up  into  that  room.  But  I  did  not  succeed.  I 
had  too  great  a  horror  of  what  I  might  find.  I  was 
afraid  to  face  the  test  of  whether  or  not  I  was  the 
guilty  person. 

It  was  after  six  o'clock  when  Bob  Manning  at  length 
found  me  still  pacing  about  alone  in  the  living-room. 
My  face  must  have  showed  that  I  had  not  yet  been 
upstairs. 

"  George !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Why  on  earth  don't 
you  go  up  and  make  sure  of  that?  What's  the  mat- 
ter with  you  ?  " 

"  I  can't.  Bob!  "  I  answered.     "  I'm  afraid  to  go." 

"Afraid?" 


114  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Yes, —  of  what  I  may  find." 

"  Nonsense !  You'll  find  nothing  at  all  in  that  fire- 
place !  Come,  come !  Gray  may  take  it  into  his  head 
to  make  a  close  search  of  those  upstairs  rooms  any 
minute." 

"  I  know  it !  "  I  said  with  a  shudder.  "  But  I  — 
I'm  afraid  to  go." 

"  You  must  go !  "  my  friend  said  firmly.  "  Come. 
I'll  go  with  you,  if  you  don't  want  to  go  alone." 

He  led  me  out  to  the  stairs.  Together  we  went 
up.  There  was  a  single  light  in  the  upper  hallway, 
and  the  place  was  deserted.  The  door  of  the  dead 
man's  room  had  been  securely  fastened  up  by  means 
of  an  iron  chain  and  padlock.  I  shuddered  when  I 
saw  this,  and  Manning  led  me  into  my  own  room. 
He  switched  on  the  light,  and  I  saw  that  there  was 
another  contrivance  securing  the  door  between  my 
room  and  Kirke's. 

"  Bob,  I  can't  look  there !  "  I  cried,  with  a  shiver. 

"  Come,"  said  Manning.  "  We  haven't  any  time 
to  lose." 

He  strode  across  the  room  to  the  fireplace.  I  fol- 
lowed. 

Manning  went  directly  to  the  fireplace,  and  stooped 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  115 

down  to  peer  inside.  His  hand  felt  along  the  bricks 
at  the  left-hand  side. 

"  It's  —  it's  the  other  side,"  I  told  him. 

He  turned  quickly  to  the  bricks  on  the  n'ght. 

"  Here's  the  place,"  he  said,  as  his  hand  found  the 
hole.     He  started  to  reach  inside. 

"No!     No!"  I  gasped. 

He  gave  a  start  of  astonishment,  and  stared  around 
at  me. 

"  Don't  put  your  hand  in  there !  "  I  begged  him. 
"  I  couldn't  stand  it, —  to  stay  back  here  and  watch  you 
do  it,  and  not  know  whether  you  had  found  anything, 
until  you  told  me !     Bob,  I  can't  stand  it !  " 

I  was  almost  beside  myself.  He  arose  from  the 
fireplace. 

"  Then  do  it  yourself!  "  he  commanded, 

I  obeyed.  Trembling,  I  knelt  down  and  thrust  my 
hand  into  the  hollow  opening.  For  a  moment  I  groped 
in  vain,  as  my  fingers  reached  deeper  and  deeper. 
Then  I  felt  a  hard,  round,  wooden  substance. 

"  My  God !  It's  here !  "  I  almost  breathed  the 
words. 

"  What  is  there?  "  asked  Manning.     He  was  calm. 

"  The  knife !  "  I  answered.     "  I  feel  the  handle !  " 

"  Bring  it  out!  "  he  ordered. 


ii6  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

Manning's  face  was  grave,  but  it  did  not  show  any 
excitement.  I  could  feel  the  corners  of  my  mouth 
twitching.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  obey  his 
command. 

So  I  seized  the  wooden  handle,  and  drew  the  object 
out  into  the  glare  of  the  electric  light.  And  together 
we  stared  down  in  silent  horror  at  the  blood-stained 
blade  of  a  kitchen  knife. 


CHAPTER  VI 

For  a  moment  we  both  stared  helplessly  at  the  knife 
in  my  hand.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  the 
one  which  was  missing  from  the  pantry.  It  had  a 
blade  about  eight  inches  in  length,  and  a  wooden  handle 
about  five  inches  long.  The  stains  upon  the  metal 
had  unmistakably  been  made  by  blood. 

"  That  settles  it !  "  I  said,  breaking  a  long  silence. 
"I  killed  him!" 

"  You  couldn't  have  done  it,  George !  You 
couldn't!" 

Bob  Manning's  face  showed  doubt. 

"  But  this  proves  it,  beyond  anything !  "  I  persisted. 
*'  What  other  explanation  can  you  give,  of  this  knife?  " 

Manning  did  not  reply.  I  felt  instinctively  that  even 
he  had  lost  confidence  in  my  innocence.  It  was  almost 
as  if  he  now  realized  the  hopelessness  of  my  case, 
and  was  willing  to  leave  me  to  my  fate. 

"  Bob !  "  I  cried  suddenly.  "  Bob,  for  heaven's  sake 
don't  go  back  on  me  now!  I  know  I  killed  him,  and 
I'll  pay  the  penalty  for  it !     But  I'm  not  a  criminal,  and 

"7 


ii8  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

I  can't  stand  it  if  you  aren't  willing  to  stick  by  me!" 

"  Why,  George,"  my  friend  replied  slowly,  "  I  can't 
see  what  ever  gave  you  the  idea  that  I'm  not  willing." 

"  It's  —  the  way  you  act  now.  You're  not  sorry 
for  me  any  more;  I  feel  it.  I  know  I  did  it,  but  I'm 
not  a  criminal,  and  — " 

**  I'm  sure  I  can't  see  why  you  talk  this  way," 
Manning  broke  in.  "  Of  course  I  am  sorry  for  you. 
And  I  know  you're  not  a  criminal.  But  I  really  can't 
see  how  you  are  going  to  get  out  of  this." 

His  words  certainly  showed  all  the  sympathy  that 
could  be  expected,  but  I  missed  the  reassuring  grasp 
of  his  hand  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Bob,"  I  said  suddenly.  "  If  you  think  I'm  lying 
to  you,  tell  me  so!  You  believe  that  I  deliberately 
killed  Kirke  because  of  my  own  motives,  and  then 
invented  this  story  of  hypnotism  in  order  to  get  you 
to  help  me!  That's  what  you  think,  isn't  it?  Tell 
me!     Isn't  it?" 

Bob  Manning  actually  hesitated  before  he  answered. 

"  Why,  George,  I  —  I  certainly  wouldn't  like  to 
think  that." 

That  was  the  last  straw.  Even  Bob  Manning  had 
lost  faith  in  my  honesty.  He  had  shown  it  by  his 
sudden  change  of  attitude,  by  his  hesitancy  in  denying 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  119 

that  he  did  not  believe  in  me,  and  by  his  only  too  plain 
aversion  to  making  any  further  effort  to  save  me.  And 
I  would  rather  have  paid  the  full  penalty  a  thousand 
times  than  have  lost  Bob  Manning's  confidence. 

The  knife  dropped  from  my  fingers,  and  clattered 
to  the  floor  in  front  of  the  fireplace.  I  buried  my 
head  in  my  hands,  and  shook  with  convulsive  sobs. 

Then,  suddenly,  1  felt  an  arm  around  my  shoulders. 
My  friend  was  bending  over  me. 

"  George !  George !  "  There  was  a  choke  in  his 
voice,  and  his  face  showed  as  much  agony  as  mine. 
I  stared  up  at  him  in  wonder. 

"  George, —  I  do  trust  you !  Good  God !  What 
have  I  done? " 

**  You !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  You  haven't  done  any- 
thing—" 

"  I've  done  everything !  "  he  cut  in.  "  Everything 
that  I  once  believed  I  could  never  do!  I've  refused 
to  help  the  best  friend  I  ever  had !  I've  watched  you 
suffer  here  for  ten  minutes,  and  never  said  one  word 
to  make  things  easier  for  you!  I've  let  you  think  that 
I  believed  you  are  guilty!  And  if  I  told  you  why  — 
Oh,  I'm  the  greatest  coward  in  the  world !  " 

"  You're  not  a  coward !  "  I  declared. 

"  I  am !  "  he  contradicted.     "  I  haven't  had  the  nerve 


I20  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

to  stand  up  for  you,  now  that  the  evidence  points  as 
it  does.  George,  forgive  me!  Only  forgive  me,  and 
I'll  do  my  best  for  you  all  my  life!  " 

He  took  my  hand,  just  as  if  he  felt  he  had  done  me 
some  great  wrong. 

"  Will  you  forgive  this?  "  he  asked. 

"  There  isn't  anything  to  forgive,"  I  answered. 
"Of  course  I  will!" 

"  Thank  you!  "  he  said  quietly.  "  Now  I'm  ready 
to  do  my  best  for  you." 

"  I  don't  see  that  there's  anything  to  be  done,"  I 
said. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  This  knife  shows  clearly  that  I  am  the  one  who 
killed  Kirke,"  I  replied.  "  There  is  nothing  to  be  done 
but  turn  it  over  to  Gray,  and  give  myself  up." 

"  That  knife  proves  absolutely  nothing,"  Manning 
declared.  "  And  you  are  not  to  give  yourself  up  to 
Gray,  because  you  are  not  guilty  of  this  crime !  " 

"  I  may  not  be  morally  guilty  of  it,"  I  admitted. 
"  But  the  fact  remains  that  I  killed  Kirke.  And  it's 
my  duty  to  tell  them  about  it." 

"  You  did  not  kill  Kirke !  "  my  friend  returned. 

"  Then  what  about  this  knife?  "  I  demanded. 

*'  Some  one  else  put  it  there,"  declared  Manning. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  121 

"  That's  impossible !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I  am  the  only 
one  who  knew  about  the  dream  I  had,  until  I  told  you 
downstairs.  No  one  else  could  possibly  have  known 
where  I  hid  the  knife  in  my  dream.  My  dream  was 
real.     You  can't  explain  this  knife  in  any  other  way." 

"  Some  other  person  put  the  knife  in  that  fireplace, 
since  this  morning,"  Bob  repeated.  "  I  don't  see  how 
it  could  have  been  a  coincidence.  Some  one  had 
learned  your  dream,  and  then  hid  it  there  to  make  you 
feel  that  you  were  guilty." 

"  But  no  one  in  the  world,  except  you,  could  have 
known  that  I  had  such  a  dream !  " 

"Oh,  couldn't  they?"  asked  Manning,  slowly. 
"  How  about  the  man  who  gave  you  that  dream  ?  " 

I  saw  the  possibilities  of  the  idea,  and  began  to 
have  hope  again. 

"  Just  the  same,"  I  declared,  "  it  is  my  duty  to  put 
Gray  in  possession  of  all  these  facts." 

"  It  is  not  your  duty !  "  my  friend  exclaimed.  **  Do 
you  know  what  he  will  do  if  you  tell  him  this?  He 
will  tell  you  that  your  story  of  hypnotism  is  an  abso- 
lute falsehood  —  a  clever  attempt  to  shift  your  guilt 
upon  some  other  man.  He  will  say  that  you  have 
confessed  because  you  saw  that  discovery  must  come 
before  long.     I  know  that  type  of  detective.     You'll 


122  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

be  tried  for  murder.  George,  you  are  not  guilty  of 
the  murder  of  Kirke,  and  you  shall  not  throw  your 
life  away  in  any  such  way  as  this!  " 

"  But,  anyway,"  I  persisted,  "  I  had  better  give  this 
knife  to  Gray,  and  tell  him  that  I  found  it  somewhere 
in  this  room." 

"  And  have  him  find  your  finger  marks  all  over  it, 
and  mine,  too,  where  we  have  just  handled  it!  "  Man- 
ning finished. 

"  I  don't  see  what  else  I  can  do  with  it." 

"Take  it  away,  and  throw  it  out!"  said  Manning 
quickly. 

"Throw  it  out?     Where?" 

"  Anywhere,"  replied  Bob.  "  Only  get  it  away, 
where  no  one  can  find  it.  Take  it  out  in  the  garden 
and  bury  it,  or  anything." 

"  That  wouldn't  be  right,"  I  answered. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I  would  be  deliberately  blocking  justice. 
I  can't  do  it.     Whether  I'm  guilty  or  not,  I  can't  — " 

"  That's  nonsense !  "  Manning  broke  in.  "  You 
know  as  well  as  I  that  you  did  not  kill  Kirke.  It's 
nothing  less  than  criminal  for  you  to  risk  your  life 
by  refusing  to  get  rid  of  evidence  which  has  no  right 
to  be  here." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  123 

"  I  can't  do  it,"  I  repeated,  shaking  my  head. 

"  George !  "  cried  Manning,  seizing  my  arm,  "  you 
must  do  it!  You  know  what  it  will  mean,  if  this  knife 
is  ever  found  in  your  room!  For  heaven's  sake  get 
rid  of  it,  before  it's  too  late!  " 

But  I  only  shook  my  head  again.  And  all  his  plead- 
ing failed  to  persuade  me  to  take  the  knife  out  of  the 
house.  I  felt  that  it  was  beyond  my  right  deliberately 
to  remove  such  important  evidence,  and  I  refused  to 
agree  to  such  a  course. 

"The  most  I'll  do  is  this,"  I  said  finally.  "I'll 
put  it  back  in  the  fireplace,  where  it  was,  and  say 
nothing  at  all  about  it  to  any  one." 

"  The  detective  will  be  certain  to  search  this  room 
to-morrow  morning,"  Manning  warned  me. 

"  Let  him,"  I  returned,  as  I  dropped  the  knife  back 
into  the  hollow  space  in  the  bricks.  "  He'll  not  find 
it.  Arthur  Copeland  is  the  only  one  in  the  house  who 
knows  about  this  hole." 

I  arose,  and  started  toward  the  door.  Manning 
stopped  me. 

"  George,  do  as  I  told  you !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Take 
that  knife  out  of  there,  and  bury  it!  " 

"No,  Bob!"  I  answered.  "I'll  not  do  it!  It's 
not  within  my  right  to  do  that.     I'm  not  called  upon 


124  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

to  make  it  easy  for  Gray,  but  it  isn't  right  to  make 
it  hard  for  him." 

And  Bob  Manning  had  to  be  content  with  leaving 
the  weapon  where  it  was. 

Detective  Gray  did  not  wait  until  morning  to  con- 
tinue his  activities.  About  eight  o'clock  that  evening 
he  called  us  all  together  in  the  living-room,  where  he 
proceeded  to  take  impressions  of  the  finger  prints  of 
every  member  of  our  family.  He  would  have  them 
photographed,  he  said,  by  the  next  morning,  so  that 
any  finger  marks  which  he  might  discover  in  Kirke's 
room  could  be  identified  at  once. 

I  do  not  believe  many  of  us  slept  that  night.  I  know- 
that  I  did  not.  It  was  a  tired,  nervous  group  which 
gathered  at  the  breakfast  table  the  next  morning. 

This  was  to  have  been  the  wedding  day.  But  now, 
of  course,  such  a  thing  as  a  wedding  was  utterly 
impossible  until  the  mystery  surrounding  the  death 
of  Harrison  Kirke  had  been  solved.  Henry  Cope- 
land  had  reluctantly  cancelled  all  the  invitations,  and 
the  marriage  had  been  indefinitely  postponed. 

The  body  of  Kirke  had  remained  in  the  house  dur- 
ing the  night.  This  had  been  greatly  against  Henry 
Copeland's  wishes,  but  Detective  Gray  had  declared 
that  it  must  not  be  disturbed  until  he  had  had  time 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  125 

to  make  a  more  thorough  search  for  finger  print  evi- 
dence. 

Gray  appeared  at  the  house  about  eight  o'clock,  and 
announced  his  plans  to  Mr.  Copeland.  He  intended  to 
make  a  final  search  of  the  rooms  upstairs,  including  a 
more  careful  examination  of  the  room  of  the  murdered 
man. 

"  I  understood  that  you  searched  the  other  rooms 
yesterday,"  the  banker  remarked, 

"  I  did,  once,"  replied  Gray.  "  But  you  remember, 
I  intended  to  make  a  much  more  careful  search  yes- 
terday afternoon,  and  I  didn't  get  around  to  it." 

*'  Oh,  I  —  I  understood  that  you  did."  Mr.  Cope- 
land  seemed  rather  puzzled.  "  I  don't  know  just 
where  I  got  the  idea,  but  I  have  the  impression  that 
some  one  told  me  you  were  searching  the  other  rooms 
yesterday  afternoon.  Weren't  you  in  my  son's  room, 
and  Mr.  Clayton's,  and  some  of  the  others?  " 

The  detective  shook  his  head. 

"  I  stepped  into  your  son's  room  for  an  instant, 
to  make  certain  that  the  window  was  fastened,"  he 
replied.  "  But  I  did  not  make  any  search  there.  As 
for  Mr.  Clayton's  room,  I  am  quite  certain  that  I  did 
not  even  go  inside  it  during  the  afternoon." 

**  That's  very  strange,"  the  banker  mused.     "  I  don't 


126  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

see  how  I  got  that  impression.  Well,  we  are  waiting 
anxiously  for  your  results,  Mr.  Gray.  Be  sure  to  let 
us  know  as  soon  as  you  learn  anything," 

At  noon  the  detective  returned,  with  the  air  of  a 
man  who  has  made  astonishing  discoveries. 

"  It  certainly  seems  that  the  criminal  must  have 
worn  gloves,"  he  announced. 

We  were  all  attention  immediately. 

"  There  is  not  a  single  finger  mark  which  is  of  any 
real  help  to  us,"  Gray  went  on.  "  There  are  quite 
a  number  in  Mr.  Kirke's  room,  but  nearly  all  of  them 
have  proved  to  have  been  made  by  Mr.  Kirke  himself. 
There  are  two  or  three  which  are  not  his,  but  those  also 
do  not  help  us,  for  they  are  clearly  those  of  the  young 
Mr.  Copeland." 

"  Of  course !  "  exclaimed  Arthur  Copeland  quickly. 
"  I  must  have  made  them  when  I  discovered  the  body 
yesterday  morning." 

I  can  never  describe  the  relief  which  I  felt  at  that 
moment.  Above  all  else,  I  dreaded  that  I  had  left  my 
finger  prints  somewhere  in  Kirke's  room.  Indeed,  it 
was  almost  inconceivable  that  I  could  have  been  in 
there  and  not  have  done  so. 

"  The  marks  in  the  other  rooms,"  the  detective  went 
on,  "are  invariably  those  of  their  occupants.     There 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  127 

was  one  in  particular  that  I  noticed.  In  Mr.  Clayton's 
room,  on  the  handle  of  the  door  which  opened  from 
there  into  Mr,  Kirke's  room,  are  Mr.  Clayton's  finger 
prints.  He  has  also  placed  his  hands  upon  other 
portions  of  the  door,  on  his  own  side." 

"  I  can  readily  account  for  that,"  I  explained.  "  On 
the  night  of  the  murder,  when  I  learned  that  Mr.  Kirke 
was  going  to  sleep  in  the  next  room,  I  made  an  effort 
to  close  the  communicating  door  and  lock  it." 

"  You  say  you  closed  the  door  at  that  time  ?  "  asked 
Gray. 

I  thought  quickly.     The  truth  was  safer. 

"No,"  I  replied.  "I  think  Mr.  Kirke  himself 
closed  it.  I  then  went  over  and  tried  to  lock  it,  but 
there  was  no  key." 

"  That,  then,  accounts  for  Mr.  Kirke's  own  finger 
prints  on  his  side  of  the  door,"  the  detective  com- 
mented. "  It  is  clear  that  no  one  else  touched  either 
that  door  or  the  hall  door  on  the  inside,  unless  he 
did  it  with  gloves.  The  point  is  not  at  all  important, 
and  can  lead  us  nowhere.  I'll  go  back,  and  try 
again." 

Most  of  the  party  were  now  beginning  to  be  decid- 
edly dissatisfied  with  Gray's  work.  As  Henry  Cope- 
land  had  said,  he  was  not  the  kind  of  detective  who 


128  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

would  be  likely  to  be  successful  in  such  a  case  as  this. 
His  whole  scheme  of  investigation  seemed  to  be  a 
mechanical  searching  and  re-searching  of  the  house 
for  material  evidence  which  no  really  clever  person 
would  ever  have  left.  We  could  all  see  that  his  efforts 
were  not  getting  him  anywhere.  Norton  Osgood  and 
Bob  Manning  had  not  yet  been  able  to  give  him  any 
assistance.  As  for  the  police,  they  had  done  abso- 
lutely nothing  of  value  since  the  crime  had  been  dis- 
covered. 

Detective  Gray  had  been  working  on  the  case  for  a 
day  and  a  half,  but  he  had  not  yet  made  a  single  effort 
to  get  at  the  real  facts  concerning  Harrison  Kirkc. 
The  question  of  motive  had  apparently  not  occurred 
to  him  at  all ;  he  seemed  content  to  establish  the  motive 
after  he  had  arrested  the  criminal.  He  had  not  yet 
shown  the  slightest  surprise  that  such  a  man  as  Har- 
rison Kirke  should  have  been  one  of  Henry  Cope- 
land's  guests,  nor  had  he  made  any  effort  to  learn  any- 
thing about  Kirke  except  his  mere  identity.  I  had 
not  heard  him  ask  a  single  question  concerning  the 
events  of  the  early  evening  before  the  murder.  If  he 
had  been  informed  that  there  had  been  tests  of  hypno- 
tism carried  out  during  that  evening,  he  had  not  paid 
any  attention  to  the  fact.     In  so  far  as  I  knew,  he 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  129 

had  not  had  the  slightest  conception  of  the  possible 
connection  of  hypnotism  to  the  case.  Until  he  should 
obtain  some  knowledge  of  the  tangle  of  facts  con- 
nected with  the  early  evening  of  the  crime,  and  until 
he  began  to  see  that  the  hypnotic  tests  might  have  been 
the  basis  of  the  whole  tragedy,  he  could  have  little  hope 
for  success  in  a  mystery  as  involved  as  this  one. 

But  he  still  kept  on  with  the  same  methods  during 
the  afternoon.  As  far  as  we  could  see,  he  did  not 
have  the  slightest  intention  of  adopting  any  other 
plan  in  the  future. 

About  half  past  four,  he  announced  that  he  was 
ready  to  have  Kirke's  body  removed  from  the  house. 
Then  it  was  that  Henry  Copeland  threw  a  bombshell 
into  the  whole  party. 

"  I  believe,  Mr.  Gray,"  he  said  quietly,  "  that  I  will 
ask  to  have  the  body  left  upstairs,  undisturbed,  until 
to-morrow  morning." 

The  request  came  as  a  distinct  shock  to  Detective 
Gray. 

"  I'll  explain  the  reason  for  my  request,  Mr.  Gray," 
the  banker  continued,  "  and  I  would  like  to  be  certain 
that  it  is  carried  out,  until  the  morning.  I  have  de- 
cided, in  view  of  the  extraordinary  difficulties  pre- 
sented by  this  affair,  that  it  would  be  of  great  help  if 


130  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

I  could  find  some  one  who  would  give  you  and  the  po- 
lice a  little  aid.  You  see,  I  feel  that  there  are  some 
aspects  of  this  case  which  cannot  possibly  be  solved 
by  the  usual  police  methods." 

"  I  think  I  understand,"  the  detective  said.  "  There 
is  some  one  coming  to  help  out  to-morrow  morning, 
and  you  would  like  everything  left  just  as  it  is  until 
that  time." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Henry  Copeland.  "  I  was  fortunate 
enough  to  get  in  touch  with  this  gentleman  this  after- 
noon by  telegram.  He  is  at  present  in  New  York, 
and  has  promised  to  be  here  to-morrow  morning. 
Mr.  Gray  has  undoubtedly  heard  of  Inspector  Steele." 

"You  don't  mean  that  Steele  is  —  coming!"  ex- 
claimed Fred  Aldridge.  His  face  showed  real  appre- 
hension. 

Henry  Copeland  glanced  at  him  in  quick  surprise. 
Bob  Manning  quickly  explained  Fred's  agitation. 

"  Fred  has  had  a  very  unfortunate  experience  with 
Inspector  Steele's  methods,"  Bob  said  to  the  banker. 
"  I'm  sure  we'll  all  excuse  him  for  feeling  as  he  does." 

I  understood  why  Fred  Aldridge  dreaded  the  com- 
ing of  the  great  secret  service  man.  It  had  been 
Inspector  Steele  who  had  sent  Fred's  father  to  the 
electric  chair. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  131 

"  He  is  coming  from  New  York  on  the  midnight 
train,"  the  banker  went  on.  "  I  think  I  was  mighty 
lucky  to  find  him,  at  the  very  time  when  we  need 
help  most." 

"You  are  sure  that  he  is  coming?"  asked  Ellen 
Aldridge. 

"  Quite  sure,"  replied  Mr.  Copeland.  "  You  see, 
I  happened  to  be  able  to  do  a  little  favor  for  him,  a 
few  years  ago.  It  really  wasn't  anything  at  all,  but 
Mr.  Steele  seemed  to  think  it  was.  When  I  told  him 
of  our  trouble,  to-day,  he  wired  back  that  he  would 
be  only  too  glad  to  help  us  out,  and  that  he  would  be 
willing  to  spend  a  week  here,  if  that  were  necessary." 

Detective  Gray  was  evidently  much  impressed  by 
the  fact  that  Inspector  Steele  was  coming.  He  went 
to  work  again  at  once,  apparently  in  the  hope  that 
he  might  be  able  to  solve  the  mystery  before  the 
Inspector  should  arrive.  Needless  to  say,  his  hurried 
efforts  were  no  more  successful  than  his  previous 
more  careful  ones  had  been. 

There  were  so  many  things  puzzling  and  worrying 
me  that  I  spent  as  much  of  the  evening  as  possible 
by  myself  thinking  them  over.  I  was  still  quite  at 
a  loss  to  explain  why  Bob  Manning  had  at  first  seemed 
so  unwilling  to  believe  in  me,  and  had  been  so  sorry 


132  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

about  his  previous  lack  of  trust  as  soon  as  he  had 
seen  what  great  trouble  I  was  in.  It  was  doubly 
unfortunate  that  we  should  have  had  even  a  temporary 
misunderstanding  at  this  particular  time,  on  account 
of  my  affair  of  the  early  afternoon  with  Ellen  Ald- 
ridge.  I  now  dreaded  more  than  ever  the  consequences, 
if  she  should  mention  that  affair  to  Bob.  I  pur- 
posely avoided  talking  to  her  during  the  evening,  lest 
something  that  I  might  say  should  induce  her  to  tell 
Manning  sooner  than  she  had  intended.  I  was  greatly 
relieved  when  I  saw  that  Bob  Manning  was  not  with 
her  very  often,  either,  for  it  meant  that  there  would 
be  less  likelihood  of  her  telling  him. 

I  was  more  apprehensive  than  ever  concerning  my 
own  safety.  I  felt  that  so  far  I  had  been  favored 
with  remarkably  good  fortune  in  the  matter  of  having 
left  any  clues  which  might  be  observed  by  Detective 
Gray.  But  I  had  an  alarming  feeling  that  I  would 
find  it  much  harder  work  concealing  my  knowledge 
from  Inspector  Malcome  Steele. 

Bob  Manning  came  to  me  again  about  nine  o'clock. 

"  George,"  he  declared,  after  making  certain  that 
we  were  alone,  "  you've  got  to  take  that  knife  out  of 
the  fireplace ! " 

"  But  I've  told  you  that  I  can't  do  it,"  I  said  firmly. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  133 

*'  You'll  have  to  do  it !  You  heard  what  Mr.  Cope- 
land  said  to-day.  Inspector  Steele  will  be  here  to- 
morrow. Once  he  has  come,  it  will  be  too  late  to 
attempt  anything  of  that  kind.  You  must  take  that 
knife  away  to-night!  " 

"  No,  Bob !  "  I  repeated.     "  It  isn't  right." 

"  Then  if  you  won't  do  it,  I  will." 

"  No,  no,  I  can't  let  you !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I  can't 
let  you  hinder  justice  to  save  me!  That  knife  must 
be  left  where  it  is.  That's  as  far  as  I'll  go  against 
the  law." 

Manning  spent  a  few  minutes  longer  in  an  effort  to 
induce  me  to  do  what  he  wished,  but  I  steadily  refused 
to  make  any  change  in  my  plans.  He  soon  saw  that 
it  was  hopeless  to  try  to  dissuade  me,  and  we  parted. 
I  was  very  tired,  and  I  retired  early. 

But,  exhausted  as  I  was,  I  could  not  sleep.  Per- 
haps it  was  because  I  realized  that  the  body  of  Harri- 
son Kirke  was  still  lying  just  behind  that  padlocked 
door.  The  thought  gave  me  a  horrible  feeling  that  I 
could  not  dispel.  I  would  have  asked  Mr.  Copeland 
if  it  would  be  possible  for  me  to  change  my  room,  if 
I  had  not  felt  that  I  had  caused  trouble  enough  for 
him  already. 

It  may  have  been  that  I  was  also  haunted  by  a  dread 


134  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

of  what  might  happen  the  next  morning,  when  Inspec- 
tor Steele  came  to  investigate  the  unaccountable  tragedy 
which  was  baffling  us  all.  Or  it  may  have  been  that 
I  was  still  trying  to  decide  whether  or  not  I  had  slain 
Harrison  Kirke.  I  only  know  that  the  long  hours 
passed,  and  I  remained  awake. 

It  must  have  been  at  some  time  well  past  midnight 
that  I  had  a  sudden,  startling  feeling  that  something 
was  wrong  in  the  room.  It  was  simply  one  of  those 
feelings  that  one  can  never  explain.  In  an  instant 
I  was  wider  awake  than  ever. 

The  night  was  cloudy,  and  the  room  was  very  dark. 
But  as  I  peered  nervously  around,  I  was  quite  certain 
that  there  was  a  rectangular  patch  on  the  wall  in 
front  of  me  which  was  a  shade  lighter  than  the  rest  of 
the  darkness.  The  longer  I  stared  at  it,  the  more 
certain  I  became  that  it  was  there. 

Now,  that  light  patch  could  mean  only  one  thing. 
The  hall  door  must  be  partly  open,  I  had  carefully 
closed  and  latched  that  door  before  retiring,  yet  I 
was  now  quite  certain  that  it  had  been  opened.  With- 
out doubt,  it  had  been  a  slight  breath  of  air  from 
that  direction,  which  had  given  me  my  uneasy  feeling. 

But  why  had  the  door  been  opened  ?  And  who  had 
done  it?    There  was  scarcely  any  wind,  and  even  if 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  135 

there  had  been,  it  could  not  have  turned  the  knob. 
*  I  was  certain  that  I  had  been  wide  awake  every 
instant  since  I  had  gone  to  bed.  Yet  I  was  equally 
certain  that  I  had  not  heard  the  slightest  sound  from 
the  doorway.  Whoever  had  opened  the  door  without 
my  knowledge,  had  done  it  with  unbelievable  skill.  I 
gazed  steadily  at  that  light  rectangular  patch,  but  I 
could  see  no  other  form  there. 

Then,  with  a  start  of  genuine  terror,  I  discovered 
that  the  person  who  had  opened  the  door  so  silently 
had  already  entered,  and  that  he  was  now  at  the 
opposite  end  of  the  room. 

The  very  faint  light  from  the  window  was  just 
enough  to  cast  a  hazy  patch  across  the  floor  between 
the  fireplace  and  the  table  at  the  end  of  the  room.  And 
in  that  spot  I  saw  the  crouching  form  of  a  man. 

I  felt  my  hair  rise  on  end  as  I  thought  of  the  super- 
human skill  that  the  unknown  intruder  must  have 
used.  He  had  turned  the  knob  of  the  door,  opened  it, 
crossed  the  room,  and  accomplished  something  at  the 
end  where  he  was, —  all  without  causing  as  much  as  the 
slightest  rustling  to  warn  me  of  his  presence.  I  was 
stunned  by  the  realization  that  such  a  feat  could  have 
been  carried  out  within  four  feet  of  where  I  lay. 

I  suddenly  became  aware  that  the  dark  form  was 


136  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

returning.  I  could  not  tell  whether  it  was  moving 
toward  the  door,  or  toward  the  bed  where  I  was 
lying.  It  was  moving  ever  so  slowly,  but  it  was 
drawing  nearer.  Gradually,  silently,  stealthily,  it 
came.  A  shadow  could  not  have  approached  my  bed 
with  any  slower,  more  noiseless,  more  terrifying  mo- 
tion. 

What  was  the  meaning  of  this  midnight  visit  ?  Why 
was  this  phantomlike  intruder  coming  toward  my  bed  ? 

I  suddenly  thought  of  how  Harrison  Kirke  would 
have  felt,  an  instant  before  he  had  met  his  death,  if 
he  could  have  seen  some  such  shadowy  form  drawing 
close  to  him  —  if  he  could  perhaps  have  made  out 
the  knife  in  the  murderer's  hand. 

With  a  shiver  of  horror  I  sat  bolt  upright,  and 
stared  at  the  thing  which  was  coming  across  the  room. 
The  hazy  light  from  the  window  was  enough  to 
show  me  the  very  picture  which  had  just  formed  in 
my  brain.  I  saw  dimly  the  head,  the  shoulders,  and 
the  arms  of  the  man  who  was  advancing.  And  then 
I  saw  his  right 'hand. 

The  window  light  shone  for  a  half  second  on  a  blade 
of  steel. 

With  a  shuddering  gasp  I  shrank  back,  and  tried 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  137 

to  cry  out.     But  my  throat  would  make  no  sound. 
So  I  sat  there  rigid  with  horror,  and  merely  stared, 
while  the  silent  form  came  nearer,  nearer  to  the  bed. 


CHAPTER  VII 

I  stared  in  horror  while  the  dark  form  drew  closer. 
But  when  it  reached  the  foot  of  my  bed,  it  stopped.  I 
thought  I  could  catch  the  sound  of  a  whispered  sylla- 
ble. 

Whoever  it  was,  he  had  evidently  discovered  that 
I  was  sitting  up  in  bed.  Again  I  heard  a  soft  whisper, 
and  this  time  there  was  no  question  about  the  word 
which  was  spoken.     It  was  unmistakably  **  George.'* 

"Bob!"  I  exclaimed,  in  sudden  recognition. 

"  I  hoped  you  would  be  asleep,"  he  said. 

"  But  what  were  you  doing  ?  "  I  demanded.  "  And 
how  did  you  get  in  ?  " 

He  came  closer.  He  was  dressed,  and  in  his  stock- 
ing feet.     I  had  a  better  view  of  the  knife  in  his  hand. 

"  I've  come  to  take  away  this  knife !  "  he  answered. 

"  You  mustn't !  "  I  protested,  "  You  promised  me 
you  wouldn't !  " 

"  I  didn't  promise  anything !  "  he  returned.  "  And 
I  am  going  to  put  this  where  it  will  never  convict  you 
of  a  crime  you  didn't  do !  " 

138 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  139 

I  was  still  shaking  from  my  fright,  and  he  noticed 
it. 

"  What's  happened  to  you  ?  "  he  asked  quickly. 

"I  —  I  don't  know !  "  I  answered,  with  a  shudder, 
"  It  —  it  gave  me  a  terrible  fright  to  see  you  creeping 
over  here,  just  like  —  just  like  a  shadow.  I  —  I'd 
been  thinking  of  things,  and  of  Kirke, —  and  I  thought 
for  a  minute  that  it  was  Kirke's  murderer,  coming 
after  me! " 

I  gave  a  nervous  laugh  in  spite  of  my  efforts.  In 
my  relief  from  that  terrible  minute,  I  thought  that  I 
would  have  to  cry  out. 

Bob  Manning  did  not  laugh.  He  seized  my  arm, 
and  silenced  me, 

"  Be  quiet,"  he  commanded.  "  If  you  wake  any  one 
before  I  dispose  of  this  thing,  we'll  both  regret  it!" 

"  But  you  must  tell  me !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  How  — 
how  did  you  do  it  ?     How  did  you  get  in  ?  " 

"  How  did  I  get  in  ?  "  he  repeated,  puzzled.  "  Why, 
I  crept  in,  and  over  to  the  fireplace." 

"  But  I've  been  wide  awake  every  instant,"  I  de- 
clared. "  I  don't  see  how  you  ever  opened  that  door, 
and  crossed  this  room,  without  making  some  sound! 
I  never  knew  of  anything  like  it !  " 

"Oh,  that!"  Bob  laughed  slightly.     "It's  an  old 


I40  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

hunting  trick  of  mine.  I  learned  it  stalking  game  in 
the  woods;  you  must  have  seen  me  do  it  in  Africa. 
But  I  can't  wait  here  any  longer.  I  am  going  to  get 
rid  of  this  knife!" 

"  Bob,  please  don't !  "  I  begged  him  again. 

"  I  must !  "  he  answered.  "  We  can't  let  Steele  come 
while  it  is  hidden  in  your  room." 

"  But  he  won't  be  suspicious  of  me,"  I  told  him. 
"  I  used  to  know  him  fairly  well,  a  few  years  ago." 

Manning  had  evidently  not  known  this. 

**  Do  you  know  him  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,  I've  never  met  him,"  he  answered.  "  Don't 
worry  about  to-morrow,  George.  And  leave  this  knife 
affair  to  me." 

He  turned,  and  crept  away  into  the  darkness  as 
silently  as  he  had  come.  Without  a  sound,  the  hall 
door  closed  behind  him. 

I  heard  nothing  more  of  him  until  morning.  When 
we  assembled  for  breakfast,  a  reassuring  glance  from 
his  eyes  told  me  that  he  had  been  successful  in  dispos- 
ing of  the  knife. 

Detective  Gray  came  just  as  we  finished  breakfast. 
He  had  not  been  in  the  house  ten  minutes,  when  the 
door-bell  rang.  I  had  an  instinctive  feeling  that  In- 
spector Steele  had  come,  and  I  walked  out  through 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  141 

the    living-room    in   order   to    glance    into   the   hall. 

I  had  guessed  correctly.  The  Inspector  was  there, 
talking  with  Henry  Copeland. 

No  one  who  had  seen  Steele  once  could  fail  to 
recognize  him  again.  He  was  tall  and  powerfully 
built.  His  face  would  command  attention  anywhere. 
His  eyes  were  gray,  and  they  were  the  kind  of  eyes 
which  see  things  on  all  sides,  without  apparently  look- 
ing at  anything.  They  were  the  kind  which  seem  to 
gaze  through  another  person's  eyes,  rather  than  into 
them,  and  when  they  glanced  into  a  face,  they  seldom 
failed  to  discover  what  lay  behind  it. 

I  had  never  been  able  to  make  any  accurate  estimate 
of  Inspector  Steele's  age.  At  ordinary  times  he  was 
ddiberate  in  speech,  and  slow  in  action.  I  had  often 
thought  that  he  must  be  at  least  forty.  But  once  or 
twice  I  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  Steele  at  work  on 
secret  service  cases.  I  had  thought  upon  those  occa- 
sions that  he  could  not  have  passed  thirty,  for  I  had 
heard  his  voice  when  it  had  been  hard  and  sharp,  and 
I  had  seen  his  movements  when  they  had  been  quick 
as  chain  lightning, 

Steele  saw  me  almost  as  soon  as  I  appeared  in  the 
living-room  doorway.  To  my  surprise,  he  recognized 
me  instantly. 


142  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Clayton,  I'm  glad  to  see  you !  "  he  told  me,  as  he 
came  forward  and  shook  hands.  His  eyes  met  mine 
squarely,  as  they  had  in  the  past.  But  this  time, 
mine  were  not  quite  so  ready  to  meet  his. 

"  I'm  certainly  glad  to  find  you  here,"  Steele  de- 
clared. "  Mr.  Copeland  has  just  given  me  some  idea 
of  what  has  happened  here,  and  I  feel  sure  you'll 
be  able  to  help  me,  too." 

I  promised  to  try,  but  I  was  afraid  I  did  not  make 
my  promise  seem  very  sincere. 

"  I  suppose,  Mr.  Steele,"  Henry  Copeland  said, 
"  that  you  would  like,  first  of  all,  to  have  as  detailed 
an  account  of  this  occurrence  as  we  can  give  you." 

"  I  think,  if  you  don't  mind,  Mr.  Copeland,"  In- 
spector Steele  replied,  "  that  the  first  thing  that  I 
would  like  to  do  is  to  meet  the  other  members  of  your 
party." 

Mr.  Copeland  was  surprised. 

"  Before  you  have  even  heard  the  circumstances  of 
the  crime?  "  he  asked. 

"If  you  don't  object,"  answered  the  Inspector. 

"Why,  certainly,  if  you  prefer.  The  —  the  guests 
were  here,  you  understand,  for  the  wedding  of  my 
daughter,  Grace.  It  was  to  have  taken  place  last  eve- 
ning.    I'll  ask  them  to  step  in  here  at  once." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  143 

"  Would  it  be  too  much  trouble  if  you  didn't  do 
that?"  asked  Steele  quickly.  "If  possible,  I  should 
like  to  be  able  to  see  them  before  they  have  been  told 
of  my  presence." 

"  Oh !  "  Henry  Copeland  was  beginning  to  under- 
stand the  Inspector's  wish.  "  Oh,  well !  Then  I  be- 
lieve we  shall  find  them  all  in  the  dining-room  now, 
Mr.  Steele." 

He  led  the  way  down  the  hall.  Inspector  Steele 
followed  with  me.  When  we  reached  the  dining-room, 
I  had  a  good  opportunity  to  observe  Steele  as  he 
entered  the  room. 

The  others  were  still  seated  around  the  table,  al- 
though Mr.  Copeland  and  his  son  had  left  with  me 
when  Detective  Gray  had  come.  They  glanced  up  in 
sudden  surprise  when  we  entered. 

It  was  in  that  first  second  of  astonishment  that 
Inspector  Steele's  eyes  were  busy.  He  did  not  appear 
to  be  gazing  at  any  one,  but  I  saw  him  shoot  quick 
glances  in  and  out  among  the  people  in  the  room.  His 
gaze  travelled  quickly  down  one  side  of  the  table, 
paused  for  a  fraction  of  a  second  upon  the  face  of  Nor- 
ton Osgood,  and  passed  on.  As  he  glanced  at  the 
other  side,  he  saw  Ellen  Aldridge  before  she  was  aware 
of  our  presence.     His  eyes  rested  upon  her  a  fraction 


144  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

of  a  second  longer  than  upon  any  of  the  others  as 
they  passed  along  the  row  of  faces. 

Mr.  Copeland  at  once  proceeded  to  introduce  his 
guests.  Most  of  them  seemed  quite  astonished,  and 
almost  bewildered,  at  the  suddenness  of  Steele's  arrival. 
Norton  Osgood  at  first  did  not  recognize  the  Inspec- 
tor at  all,  and  he  was  quite  surprised  when  he  learned 
who  the  newcomer  was. 

I  remembered  that  Bob  Manning  had  expressed  a 
wish  to  know  Steele,  and  I  gave  him  a  special  intro- 
duction a  few  minutes  later.  Steele  was  quite  pleased 
when  he  learned  that  my  friend  had  more  or  less 
ability  in  detective  work.  We  had  a  pleasant  talk 
together  for  several  minutes  before  Steele  started 
upstairs.  When  Bob  at  length  left  us,  the  Inspector's 
gaze  followed  him. 

"  Manning,  you  said  his  name  was?  "  he  asked  me. 

"  Yes,"  I  replied.  "  Dr.  Robert  Manning,  of  New 
York." 

"  I  like  him,"  was  Inspector  Steele's  comment,  as  he 
turned  toward  the  living-room. 

I  had  expected  that  he  would  immediately  go  up 
to  the  scene  of  the  tragedy,  and  I  was  curious  to  learn 
what  had  taken  him  to  the  living-room.     I  followed. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  145 

and  found  him  in  conversation  with  Norton  Osgood. 

"  I  wonder,  Mr.  Osgood,"  the  Inspector  was  say- 
ing, "  if  you  would  object,  if  I  should  ask  you  a  rather 
peculiar  question.  I  have  very  unaccountable  feelings 
concerning  people  sometimes,  and  there  has  been  a 
vague  idea  at  the  back  of  my  head  ever  since  I  first 
saw  you  in  the  dining-room." 

"  Why,  I'm  sure  it's  very  strange,"  replied  Osgood, 
with  a  smile.  "  I  hadn't  realized  that  there  was  any- 
thing at  all  distinctive  in  my  appearance.  What 
would  you  like  to  ask  me?" 

Steele  gave  a  little  laugh. 

"  It  is  rather  a  hobby  of  mine  to  classify  people's 
eyes,"  he  said.  "  I  often  form  very  accurate  conclu- 
sions in  that  way.  Tell  me,  Mr.  Osgood.  Are  you 
—  are  you  a  magician  ?  " 

"  A  magician !  "  exclaimed  Norton  Osgood,  in  aston- 
ishment. 

"  I  mean  a  man  who  practises  conjuring, —  stage 
illusions  and  tricks,"  Steele  explained.  "  Have  you 
ever  done  that,  in  a  private  way?" 

"  Why,  no !  "  replied  Osgood. 

"  Then  I  have  miscalculated,  this  time.  But  I  am 
still  confident  that  I  was  not  altogether  wrong  in  my 
guess.     Are  you  —  have  you  ever  been  an  actor  ?  " 


146  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

Norton  Osgood  laughed. 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  answered.  "  But  I  can  see  where 
your  questions  will  invariably  lead.  And  let  me  tell 
you,  Mr.  Steele,  that  this  has  been  the  most  remark- 
able piece  of  character-reading  that  I  have  ever  seen! '' 

"  You  have  been  something  of  that  kind,  then," 
Steele  remarked,  with  a  smile. 

"  It  isn't  sleight  of  hand,  or  acting,"  Osgood  replied. 
"  It's  hypnotism." 

"  Oh !  "  It  was  Steele's  turn  to  be  surprised. 
"  Ylou've  done  it  privately,  I  suppose." 

"  Privately,  and  otherwise,"  answered  Norton  Os- 
good. 

I  had  such  a  wonderful  idea  of  the  Inspector's  keen- 
ness that  I  almost  expected  him  to  connect  hypnotism 
with  the  crime  at  once,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  abso- 
lutely nothing  had  occurred  to  warrant  such  a  suspi- 
cion. But  Steele  apparently  did  not  give  any  further 
thought  to  the  subject.  He  soon  made  his  way  up- 
stairs to  the  scene  of  the  tragedy.  Being  a  former 
friend  of  his,  I  found  that  I  was  now  a  privileged 
character ;  he  invited  me  to  accompany  him  to  Kirke's 
room.  I  certainly  had  no  desire  to  enter  the  place, 
but  I  knew  that  it  would  hardly  do  for  me  to  decline. 
We  went  in  together. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  147 

Steele  did  not  spend  any  time  gazing  at  the  remains. 
He  shook  hands  with  Gray,  and  glanced  around  the 
room  for  an  instant.  His  gaze  fell  upon  the  door  to 
my  room.  He  was  on  the  point  of  asking  a  question 
about  this  door,  when  I  informed  him  where  it  led. 

His  examination  of  Kirke's  body  was  very  brief. 
He  evidently  felt  that  Detective  Gray  had  long  since 
discovered  all  that  there  was  to  be  learned  in  this 
manner. 

"  You  said  his  name  was  Harrison  Kirke,"  he  ad- 
dressed Mr.  Copeland,  at  length. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  banker.  "  He  lived  in  New 
York." 

"  There  isn't  much  to  be  learned  here,"  Steele  re- 
marked. "  I  have  some  more  questions  concerning 
Kirke,  Mr.  Copeland.     I  will  ask  them  later." 

He  spent  an  instant  examining  the  knife  wound  in 
the  dead  man's  side.     We  were  all  silent,  watching  him. 

"  Whoever  he  was,  the  murderer  knew  his  business," 
the  Inspector  remarked  finally.  "  The  knife  was 
driven  straight  through  the  heart,  with  wicked  force. 
He  probably  died  without  the  least  sound." 

"  You  spoke  of  the  murderer  as  '  he,'  "  remarked 
Gray,  slowly. 

Steele  glanced  at  him  quickly.  ^ 


148  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Have  you  had  any  reason  to  believe  that  I  should 
not  have  said  '  he  '  ?  " 

"  No,  not  at  all !  "  answered  Gray.  "  I  was  merely 
remarking  upon  your  evident  conclusion." 

Steele  did  not  spend  any  further  time  examining 
the  body,  but  ordered  it  removed  from  the  house  at 
once.  He  then  went  downstairs  and  requested  a  talk 
with  Mr.  Henry  Copeland.  As  before,  he  showed 
his  confidence  in  me  by  asking  me  to  remain  and  supply 
whatever  information  I  could.  He  also  said  that  he 
would  be  glad  if  Bob  Manning  would  join  us.  So 
we  four  gathered  together  in  the  room  where  the  guests 
had  first  discussed  hypnotism. 

Steele  had  been  quick  to  observe  that  Harrison  Kirke 
was  not  at  all  the  kind  of  guest  that  Henry  Copeland 
would  be  likely  to  have  in  his  home.  His  questions 
were  designed  to  discover  the  explanation  of  this. 
When  Mr.  Copeland  at  last  reluctantly  made  known 
the  true  facts,  one  at  a  time,  the  revelation  came  as 
a  complete  surprise  to  me  as  well  as  to  the  Inspector. 

Harrison  Kirke  had  been  a  blackmailer  in  every 
sense  of  the  word.  Not  an  occasional  blackmailer, 
but  a  methodical,  consistent  extortioner  of  hush  money. 
He  had  made  a  comfortable  living  for  years  by  the 
judicious  use  of  information  which  he  knew  others 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  149 

would  pay  well  to  have  concealed.  It  had  been  his 
business  to  collect  such  bits  of  information,  and  he 
had  always  been  diabolically  clever  in  doing  it.  And 
he  had  done  it  all,  moreover,  with  such  skill  that  not 
a  single  lawyer  in  the  country,  not  even  David  Endi- 
cott,  had  been  able  to  catch  him  with  evidence  which 
would  convict  him  of  blackmail. 

It  was  this  same  business  that  had  brought  Kirke 
to  the  home  of  Plenry  Copeland.  The  explanation 
of  this  part  was  a  longer  story,  and  Mr,  Copeland 
plainly  showed  his  aversion  to  making  it  known. 
Among  the  men  whom  Kirke  had  been  blackmailing 
for  years,  was  a  certain  John  Wolcott.  This  Wol- 
cott  had  formerly  been  Henry  Copeland's  partner  in 
business,  and  had  been  one  of  the  banker's  best  friends 
for  years  after  their  partnership  had  ended.  Wolcott 
had  not  been  careful  in  his  business  dealings,  and 
had  got  himself  tangled  up  in  a  questionable  afTair, 
Unfortunately  for  him,  Harrison  Kirke  managed  to 
learn  of  this.  The  gambler  had  been  extracting  money 
from  Wolcott  for  over  four  years.  When  the  latter's 
funds  had  failed  him,  Kirke  had  come  to  Henry  Cope- 
land, for  he  had  been  sure  that  the  banker  would 
pay  well  to  shield  his  old  friend.  He  had  made  three 
such  visits  to  Copeland,  and  the  banker  had  upon 


I50  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

each  occasion  cheerfully  conceded  his  demands.  The 
visit  which  he  had  just  made  had  been  his  fourth, 
but  this  time  his  demands  had  been  so  great  that 
Henry  Copeland  had  refused  to  agree  to  them.  Kirke 
had  been  insistent  and  threatening.  Mr.  Copeland 
had  put  off  his  decision  for  a  day  or  two,  and  had 
hastily  summoned  his  friend  the  lawyer,  David  Endi- 
cott,  to  help  him  adjust  the  affair  with  Kirke. 

Inspector  Steele  listened  to  the  explanation  in  silence. 
I  expected  him  to  ask  more  questions  when  the  banker 
had  finished,  but  he  evidently  thought  that  Cope- 
land's  account  had  been  very  complete.  Instead  of 
saying  anything  further  upon  the  subject  of  Kirke's 
affairs,  he  requested  that  he  be  allowed  to  ask  a  few 
questions  of  Miss  Ellen  Aldridge. 

Mr.  Copeland  was  quite  surprised  by  the  request. 
He  asked  if  Fred  Aldridge  would  not  do,  instead, 
but  Steele  replied  that  only  Fred's  sister  could  give 
him  the  information  which  he  wished  with  the  accurate 
detail  that  he  felt  would  be  necessary. 

I  asked  if  he  would  like  me  to  leave,  but  he  replied 
that  he  would  prefer  to  have  all  three  of  us  remain. 

Ellen  Aldridge  was  plainly  nervous  when  she  came 
in.     Most  people  would  be,  if  they  were  summoned  by 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  151 

Inspector  Steele  to  give  information  in  connection 
with  a  murder. 

Steele  did  not  waste  any  time  in  preliminaries.  I 
saw  that  he  had  evidently  met  Miss  Aldridge  at  the 
time  when  he  had  caused  the  arrest  of  her  father, 
but  he  did  not  make  any  reference  to  that  occasion. 

"  Did  you  know  Mr.  Harrison  Kirke,  Miss  Ald- 
ridge ?  "  he  began. 

"  He  was  certainly  not  one  of  my  friends,"  she  an- 
swered. 

"  But  I  didn't  ask  that,"  the  Inspector  objected. 
"  I  merely  asked  if  you  knew  Harrison  Kirke." 

"I  —  why,  I  knew  who  he  was,"  she  told  him. 

"  Did  your  brother  ever  have  any  dealings  with 
him?" 

"  Fred  ?     Why  —  no.     Why  should  he  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.     Did  you  yourself?  " 

"  Of  course  not!  "     She  was  indignant. 

"You're  —  very  sure  of  that?"  Steele  asked. 

"  Why  —  yes.     Quite  sure." 

Steele  was  not  looking  at  her  face.  She  gave  me 
a  quick  glance,  which  was  a  mute  appeal  for  silence. 

"  Why  did  you  move  to  Detroit  a  few  years  ago  ?  " 
the   Inspector  demanded. 


152  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

She  caught  her  breath  in  quick  surprise. 

"  I  don't  care  to  answer  all  these  questions,  Mr. 
Steele,"  she  answered  quietly. 

"  Oh ! "  The  Inspector  was  mildly  surprised. 
"  Suppose  I  should  tell  you  that  you  will  be  compelled 
to  answer," 

"  You  will  not  tell  me  that,"  she  replied  firmly,  but 
quietly.  "  It  is  not  within  your  right.  This  is  not 
a  court  of  law,  Mr.  Steele,  and  I  am  not  required 
to  give  any  information  which  I  would  prefer  not 
to  give." 

"  That  is  very  true,"  Steele  admitted.  "  You  are 
not.  Since  you  decline  to  do  this,  it  is  now  merely 
a  question  of  what  we  shall  infer." 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  you  to  infer  anything !  " 
she  declared  with  some  spirit.  "  We  had  an  entirely 
personal  reason  for  moving  away  from  —  for  moving 
to  Detroit,  and  I  hardly  consider  such  a  reason  to  be 
your  affair." 

"  Doesn't  it  really  seem  that  Miss  Aldridge  is 
right?  "  Bob  Manning  asked  the  Inspector. 

"  That  is  true,"  Steele  answered.  "  I  will  change 
my  style  of  questioning.  I'll  ask  you  now,  Miss  Ald- 
ridge, to  tell  me  who  Mr.  Norton  Osgood  is?  " 

"  Why,  I  believe  he  does  hypnotizing,  profession- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  153 

ally,"  Ellen  Aldridge  answered.  "  He  lives  in  De- 
troit.    But  other  than  that — " 

"  Didn't  he  come  here  from  Detroit  with  your 
brother?  "  Steele  questioned. 

She  admitted  that  he  did. 

"  But  I  would  suggest  that  you  ask  my  brother  for 
such  information,"  she  added,  a  bit  impatiently. 

"  But  I  don't  care  to  ask  your  brother,"  the  Inspec- 
tor told  her.  "  He  would  not  give  me  the  kind  of 
information  that  I  need.  I  should  like  you  to  tell 
me  just  why  he  came  here  with  Mr.  Frederick  Ald- 
ridge. Mr.  Copeland  has  told  me  that  he  never  met 
him  until  he  came  with  you,  and  it  is  quite  plain  that 
your  brother  had  some  very  special  reason  for  bring- 
ing him." 

"  You  are  right,"  Miss  Aldridge  admitted  reluc- 
tantly. "  But  I  —  I  don't  feel  that  I  can  explain  the 
exact  reason,  now." 

"  Oh !  You  mean  that  you  would  prefer  that  we 
were  alone?  " 

Inspector  Steele  glanced  slowly  around  at  the  three 
other  faces. 

"  Surely  this  feeling  of  constraint  is  not  on  account 
of  Mr.  Copeland,"  he  said. 

"  Certainly  not,"   she  declared. 


154  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Indeed !  "  remarked  Steele.  "  Undoubtedly,  then, 
it  is  because  of  Mr.  Clayton.     I  — " 

"No,  no!  Of  course  it  isn't!"  she  exclaimed 
hastily. 

Inspector  Steele  gave  her  a  sudden  glance,  and  I 
almost  thought  I  could  detect  a  glint  of  satisfaction  in 
his  eyes. 

"  We  must  certainly  not  assume  that  it  is  on  account 
of  Dr.  Manning,"  he  said.  "  I  take  it,  then,  that 
it  is  because  of  my  presence  that  you  are  not  willing 
to  tell  us  this." 

"  You  are  correct,"  she  replied  slowly. 

"  Then  perhaps  you  might  be  interested  to  learn 
that  I  think  I  have  already  guessed  the  answer,  with- 
out the  help  which  I  expected  you  to  give  me." 

*'  It  —  it  wouldn't  be  very  hard  to  guess,  if  you  have 
known  much  about  Fred,"  she  said  slowly. 

**  I  understand,"  was  Steele's  quiet  answer.  "  And 
I  realize  how  hard  it  must  be  for  you  to  have  to  think 
of  all  this.  If  you  don't  feel  that  you  can  tell  me 
now,  I'll  wait  until  some  other  time." 

She  looked  up  in  sudden  surprise  at  the  change  in  the 
Inspector's  tone. 

"  I'll  be  only  too  glad  to  tell  you  all  I  can,"  she  said 
quickly.     "  But  the  story  begins  away  back,  at  the 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  155 

time  when  —  when  you  knew  of  us  before,  in  New 
York.  Perhaps  you  know  how  Fred  felt,  after  the 
revelation  that  you  made  at  that  time.  He  —  he  was 
more  affected  by  the  knowledge  than  either  of  us." 

"  At  least,  he  showed  it  more,"  the  Inspector  re- 
marked. 

"  For  a  time,"  Ellen  Aldridge  went  on,  "  we  were 
all  very  much  afraid  that  he  was  in  a  very  serious 
mental  condition.  He  seemed  to  grow  worse  and 
worse,  and  the  doctors  began  to  say  that  his  sanity 
was  in  danger.  We  tried  everything,  but  nothing 
seemed  to  help  him." 

"  So  you  finally  tried  having  him  treated  by  hypno- 
tism ?  "  Steele  asked. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered.  "  Fred  was  helped  by  it 
at  once.  At  first,  he  had  relapses  every  little  while, 
but  these  times  grew  less  and  less  frequent.  We 
think  now  that  he  is  altogether  cured,  but  the  doctor 
says  that  for  a  year  or  more  he  should  not  be  out 
of  reach  of  Mr.  Osgood  for  any  length  of  time. 
That  is  why  we  have  brought  him  with  us." 

This  was  evidently  the  information  which  Steele 
had  wished  to  obtain.  He  did  not  question  Ellen 
Aldridge  any  longer,  but  went  upstairs  again  to  confer 
with  Detective  Gray  upon  the  subject  of  finger-print 


156  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

evidence.  When  he  returned  after  nearly  two  hours, 
his  face  did  not  show  that  he  had  learned  much  of 
value. 

I  was  rather  surprised  when  Steele  asked  for  a  talk 
with  me.  There  was  no  one  in  the  living-room  at  the 
time,  and  we  went  in  there. 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  you  will  be  pleased  by  my  ques- 
tions," the  Inspector  said. 

"  Why,  I'm  sure  I'll  be  glad  to  answer  all  I  can," 
I  replied,  wondering.  I  could  not  imagine  what  the 
Inspector  had  learned  concerning  me  while  he  was 
upstairs. 

"  The  truth  is,  Clayton,"  Steele  went  on,  "  that  I 
am  rather  fond  of  watching  faces,  and  of  forming 
ideas  by  what  I  see  upon  them." 

"  And  you  think  you  have  seen  something  on  my 
face?  "  I  asked. 

I  was  trying  very  hard  to  seem  unconcerned,  but  I 
must  confess  that  I  was  not  any  too  successful.  I 
was  now  quite  sure  that  Steele  must  have  found  tell- 
tale evidence  somewhere  upstairs. 

"  The  particular  point  about  which  I'd  like  informa- 
tion," the  Inspector  continued,  "  is  this.  I  hope  this 
will  not  ofifend  you,  and  I  also  hope  that  you  will 
be  willing  to  tell  me  what  I  wish  to  know.     Er — ■ 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  157 

just  what  kind  of  secret  have  you  and  Miss  Aldridge 
together?" 

I  nearly  started  from  my  chair.  I  knew  that  Steele's 
eyes  were  reading  my  thoughts. 

"  I  observe  from  your  surprise  that  I  am  not  alto- 
gether mistaken,"  he  said. 

"  But  I  —  I  don't  see  where  you  got  this  idea,"  I 
stammered. 

"  I'll  tell  you  that.  Miss  Aldridge  showed  it  quite 
clearly  upon  two  occasions  during  our  talk  this  morn- 
ing. I  am  not  certain  that  you  are  keeping  a  secret, 
but  I  have  an  idea  that  you  are.     Perhaps  two  secrets." 

There  was  something  peculiar  in  the  way  in  which 
he  said  the  last  three  words. 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean,"  I  said  quickly. 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know  any  of  Miss  Aldridge's 
history  ?  "  Steele  asked.  "  I  mean,  in  regard  to  events 
of  about  three  years  ago,  in  New  York." 

"  I  understand  what  you  are  speaking  of,"  I  replied. 
**  Yes,  I  have  learned  of  that." 

"  May  I  ask  if  you  knew  Miss  Aldridge  before  that 
time?" 

"  No,"  I  answered.  "  I  had  not  met  her  until  I 
came  here  a  few  days  ago." 


158  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Indeed !  "  exclaimed  Inspector  Steele,  in  astonish- 
ment.    "  This  is  most  surprising,  Clayton !  " 

"  What  is  surprising?  "  I  asked. 

"  The  fact  that  you  are  keeping  a  secret  together, 
when  you  only  met  a  few  days  ago,"  was  the  Inspec- 
tor's reply. 

"  But  you  don't  understand !  "  I  explained  hastily. 
"  The  —  the  —  we  haven't  any  secret !  " 

"  You  say  that  you  knew  of  the  affair  of  Dr.  Willard 
Aldridge,"  Steele  persisted  quietly.  "  And  yet  you 
have  known  her  only  a  few  days,  and  you  have  not 
any  secret.  Perhaps  it  was  Dr.  Manning  who  told 
you  of  that  affair." 

For  an  instant  I  hesitated.  But  only  for  an  in- 
stant. For  Inspector  Steele  was  not  a  man  to  whom 
I  cared  to  lie. 

"  No,  Manning  did  not  tell  me,"  I  replied.  "  What- 
ever I  know  of  Miss  Aldridge's  affairs,  I  learned  by 
—  by  accident." 

"  So  that's  it !  "  the  Inspector  exclaimed.  "  That 
is  why  she  made  that  silent  plea  for  you  to  keep  quiet. 
You  needn't  bother  to  tell  me  the  rest ;  it  is  quite  plain. 
She  gave  you  that  glance  when  I  began  to  question  her 
about  Kirke.  At  some  time  since  you  have  been  here, 
probably  during  the  afternoon  or  evening  before  the 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  159 

murder,  you  heard  Miss  Aldridge  in  some  kind  of 
discussion  with  Harrison  Kirke.  That  is  the  truth, 
isn't  it?" 

"I  —  I  can't  deny  it,"  I  said  slowly. 

"  Why  would  you  like  to?  "  asked  Inspector  Steele. 

"  I  never  said  that  I  would  like  to !  "  I  declared. 

"  But  it  is  quite  plain  that  you  would.  You  may 
as  well  tell  me  all  of  this,  Clayton." 

"  There  isn't  any  more,"  I  answered. 

"  Oh,  but  I  know  that  there  is,"  Steele  objected 
quietly.  "  You  know  something  which  you  do  not  care 
to  tell  me.  It  might  be  in  connection  with  Miss  Ald- 
ridge, or  it  might  be  a  suspicion  as  to  the  murderer 
of  Kirke.  But  I  am  certain  that  you  are  withholding 
something." 

I  did  not  answer. 

"  Well,  I'll  try  something  less  —  personal,"  Steele 
said.  "  I  suppose  you  would  be  willing  to  tell  me  some- 
thing concerning  your  friend  Dr.  Manning." 

"  Of  course,"  I  replied.  "  But  what  is  there  to  tell 
about  Manning  ? " 

"  I'd  like  very  much  to  know  how  long  he  has  been 
engaged  to  Miss  Aldridge," 

I  saw  that  he  had  not  changed  the  original  subject 
at  all,  but  had  merely  taken  up  a  new  angle  of  it. 


i6o  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  I  believe,"  I  replied,  "  that  it  has  been  about  a 
year." 

"  Hmm !  "  Steele  was  looking  at  me  again.  "  Not 
so  surprising,  after  all  —  considering." 

"What  on  earth  are  you  driving  at,  Mr.  Steele?" 
I  demanded. 

"  I  am  not  driving  at  anything,"  he  ansv^ered. 

"  But  you  are !  "  I  declared.  "  What  do  these  ques- 
tions mean  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  I  assure  you,"  he  replied.  **  I  was 
merely  —  thinking." 

"Thinking  what?  "  I  persisted. 

"  Oh!  "  He  gave  a  little  laugh,  and  turned  toward 
the  door.  "  Thinking  that  a  year  is  a  long,  long 
time." 

I  caught  his  arm. 

"  Mr.  Steele,"  I  said  quietly,  "  it  is  clear  that  you 
have  in  some  way  learned  something,  in  regard  to  — 
me.  Would  you  mind  telling  me  —  how  much  you 
know  ?  " 

"  You  really  needn't  worry,  Clayton,"  he  answered, 
with  a  smile.  "  As  far  as  anything  that  I  might  do 
or  say  is  concerned, —  I  don't  know  anything  at 
all." 

"  That's  very  kind  of  you,"  I  said.     "  But  won't 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  i6i 

you  please  tell  me  just  the  same?  What  is  it  that 
you  know  ?  " 

"  I  know  Miss  Aldridge,"  was  Inspector  Steele's 
brief  answer. 

And  that  was  all  that  I  could  get  from  him. 

If  any  of  the  party  had  expected  Steele  to  solve 
the  mystery  at  once,  they  were  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment. He  was  apparently  quite  inactive  during  the 
rest  of  the  afternoon,  and  in  the  evening  he  did  very 
little  except  talk  matters  over  with  Detective  Gray. 
In  the  morning,  he  and  Gray  visited  the  upstairs  rooms 
together,  and  went  over  the  collection  of  finger  prints 
which  had  been  found.  Shortly  afterward,  I  saw 
Inspector  Steele  in  the  living-room,  in  conversation 
with  Fred  Aldridge  and  Norton  Osgood. 

I  was  vaguely  uneasy  during  that  afternoon.  So 
far,  I  had  managed  to  keep  Steele  from  suspecting  that 
I  could  have  had  any  connection  with  the  murder 
myself.  But  I  had  an  alarming  feeling  that  serious 
developments  would  come  very  soon.  And  on  the 
evening  of  Steele's  second  day  at  Copeland's  home, 
these  developments  came,  though  in  a  very  different 
manner  from  what  I  had  expected. 

It  was  just  before  eight  o'clock  when  Inspector 
Steele  asked  Mr.  Copeland  to  summon  all  his  guests  to 
the  living-room.     The  banker  at  once  asked  what  had 


i62  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

been  discovered,  but  the  Inspector  would  not  give 
any  advance  information.  Mr.  Copeland  withdrew 
to  call  the  others,  and  within  a  few  minutes  they 
were  all  gathered  in  the  living-room. 

"  I  have  called  you  people  together,"  Inspector  Steele 
began  at  once,  "  in  order  that  it  may  be  perfectly  clear 
to  all  of  you  just  what  I  am  here  to  accomplish. 
There  has  been  murder  done  by  one  of  the  inmates  of 
this  house.  That  fact  is  certain.  It  is  also  every  bit 
as  certain  that  the  murderer  of  Harrison  Kirke  is 
one  of  the  people  in  this  room  now.  I  want  you  to 
understand  that  it  is  my  duty  to  discover  and  expose 
this  person.  That  is  what  Mr.  Copeland  wished  done 
when  he  sent  for  me,  and  that  is  what  I  intend  to 
do  before  I  leave. 

"  I  wish  it  to  be  understood,  then,  that  whatever 
may  happen  before  I  have  finished  here,  whatever 
I  may  be  forced  to  do  in  solving  this  affair,  which- 
ever person  I  may  finally  expose  as  the  murderer, — 
I  am  only  doing  what  you  all  wished  to  have  done, 
when  you  and  Mr.  Copeland  agreed  that  I  should 
take  up  this  case." 

Steele  paused  an  instant,  as  if  to  give  every  one 
time  to  realize  the  truth  of  what  he  had  said.  No  one 
spoke. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  163 

"  We  come,  then,"  Steele  went  on,  "  to  certain  facts 
which  may  possibly  account  for  the  motive  of  this 
crime." 

I  glanced  quickly  toward  Norton  Osgood,  and  no- 
ticed that  his  face  was  a  shade  paler  than  usual.  I 
was  afraid  that  mine  was,  also. 

"  Harrison  Kirke  was  here  in  this  house  for  the 
purpose  of  blackmailing  Mr.  Henry  Copeland,"  In- 
spector Steele  went  on.  "  His  grounds  for  doing  this 
need  not  be  dealt  with  at  present.  It  is  sufficient  that 
he  was  a  decidedly  unwelcome  visitor  at  the  time  when 
he  was  murdered.  Now,  I  ask,  who  was  the  one  who 
would  be  most  anxious  to  have  Kirke  out  of  the  way?  " 

There  was  no  information  volunteered.  Every  one 
was  tensely  silent. 

"  Obviously,"  Steele  said,  in  answer  to  his  own  ques- 
tion, "  some  one  who  would  be  affected  if  Kirke's 
knowledge  should  be  made  known.  The  knowledge 
which  Kirke  possessed  was  not  in  connection  with 
Mr.  Copeland  himself,  or  with  any  of  his  family,  but 
with  a  former  friend  and  business  partner  of  Mr. 
Copeland.  It  is  hardly  conceivable  that  any  of  you 
people  would  do  murder  for  no  other  reason  than 
to  save  a  former  business  partner  of  Mr.  Copeland, 
unless  some  one  of  you  might  possibly  have  had  some 


i64  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

closer  connection  with  this  partner.  Any  such  con- 
nection as  this  I  have  been  unable  to  find." 

It  was  clear  that  the  others  did  not  foresee  where 
Steele's  line  of  reasoning  was  leading. 

"No!"  the  Inspector  declared  suddenly.  "I  am 
now  quite  convinced  that  the  murder  was  not  done 
because  of  anything  in  connection  with  Kirke's  black- 
mailing of  Mr.  Copeland,  and  it  will  take  a  very  forci- 
ble argument  to  make  me  change  this  opinion.  Har- 
rison Kirke  was  not  killed  because  of  what  he  knew 
concerning  Henry  Copeland's  former  partner!  It  is 
my  firm  belief  that  he  was  killed  because  of  information 
which  he  possessed  in  regard  to  quite  another  person !  " 

There  was  a  start  of  astonishment  from  all.  Nor- 
ton Osgood  was  paler  than  before,  and  Ellen  Ald- 
ridge's  face  showed  great  agitation. 

"  Some  one  had  a  heated  discussion  with  Harrison 
Kirke  during  the  evening  of  the  night  that  he  was 
murdered !  "  Inspector  Steele  continued  mercilessly. 
"  Some  one  was  at  that  time  threatened  by  Kirke  with 
the  exposure  of  certain  facts  which  were  not  wanted 
known,  unless  a  certain  sum  were  paid  before  the  next 
morning.  Who  is  there  in  this  party  who  has  a  secret 
which  would  be  worth  money  to  Kirke?  Who,  aside 
from  Mr.  Copeland  and  Mr.  Endicott,  has  had  previous 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  165 

dealings  with  Kirke  ?  Who  was  overheard  in  an  argu- 
ment with  Kirke,  by  Mr.  Clayton?  " 

As  the  Inspector  had  shot  out  this  series  of  questions, 
Bob  Manning  had  been  staring  at  Ellen  Aldridge,  as 
though  he  were  afraid  that  her  expression  might  be- 
tray her  knowledge  to  Steele.  When  Steele  astounded 
the  whole  group  by  his  last  question,  she  gave  a  visi- 
ble start.     They  all  observed  it. 

"  Miss  Aldridge,  what  threat  did  Harrison  Kirke 
make  to  you  on  Thursday  evening?  "  Inspector  Steele 
shot  at  her,  before  she  could  recover.  "  What  did 
he  want  you  to  pay  him,  and  what  did  he  say  that 
he  would  do  if  you  did  not  pay  him?  Every  one 
in  this  party,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Mr.  Endi- 
cott,  knows  what  that  secret  was.  They  know  what 
it  is  that  Harrison  Kirke  knew.  They  know  what 
harm  could  be  done  if  this  knowledge  were  distrib- 
uted broadcast  among  the  other  wedding  guests  who 
were  coming,  as  Kirke  had  undoubtedly  threatened 
to  do.     What  did  you  reply  to  him?" 

Ellen  Aldridge  was  so  bewildered  and  frightened 
by  Steele's  rapid  fire  of  questions  that  she  was  power- 
less to  make  any  answer.  The  others  were  startled 
and  horrified  at  the  turn  which  the  Inspector's  inves- 
tigation had  taken. 


i66  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"Mr.  Steele!"  exclaimed  Bob  Manning.  "Don't 
you  think  this  questioning  Miss  Aldridge  in  this  man- 
ner is — " 

"  I'm  sorry,  Dr.  Manning,"  Steele  cut  in,  "  but  I 
have  come  here  to  learn  the  truth  of  this  crime,  no 
matter  what  it  may  cost.  Miss  Aldridge,  we  can  all 
see  the  terrible  position  in  which  you  were  placed  by 
Kirke's  demands.  Not  only  your  own  welfare,  but 
that  of  your  brother,  also,  was  at  stake.  Harrison 
Kirke  had  cleverly  chosen  you  for  his  threatening, 
rather  than  your  brother,  because  he  knew  that  you 
would  be  much  more  likely  to  take  steps  to  prevent 
these  facts  being  made  known.  But,  rather  unfor- 
tunately for  Mr.  Harrison  Kirke,  he  had  made  a 
serious  miscalculation  upon  the  kind  of  action  which 
you  would  take !  " 

I  saw  Henry  Copeland  give  a  start  of  horror,  as  he 
realized  the  full  extent  of  Steele's  accusation.  For 
a  moment  I  was  so  stunned  that  I  completely  forgot 
my  own  part  in  the  tragedy. 

"  What  could  you  do  when  Kirke  had  declared  that 
he  would  make  known  these  facts  before  your  brother's 
wedding?  What  other  course  lay  open  to  you,  except 
to  comply  with  his  demands?     What  did  you  do?" 

The  Inspector  paused  an  instant.     It  had  not  oc- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  167 

curred  to  me,  in  my  excitement,  that  he  might  have 
been  working  up  this  whole  accusation  in  the  hope 
of  getting  a  confession  from  the  really  guilty  person. 
But  if  that  was  his  purpose,  the  results  were  hardly 
what  he  had  expected. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  you  did.  Miss  Aldridge !  "  In- 
spector Steele  finished.     "  You  got  a  knife  from  the 
pantry,  and  — " 
^  "  Inspector,  you've  no  right  to  say  that !  " 

It  was  Fred  Aldridge  who  had  spoken.  His  face 
was  flushed  with  anger  and  indignation,  and  he  met 
Steele's  gaze  with  real  hatred  in  his  eyes.  He  sprang 
up  from  his  chair,  and  came  forward. 

"  You  have  no  right  to  accuse  my  sister !  "  he  cried. 
"  And  you  will  apologize  for  every  word  you've  said, 
or  I'll  — " 

"  Fred !  Don't !  "  exclaimed  Ellen  Aldridge.  She 
hurried  to  his  side,  and  grasped  his  arm. 

"  I  will !  "  returned  Fred  Aldridge,  who  was  still 
facing  the  Inspector.  "  We've  had  enough  of  your 
methods,  Mr.  Steele!  If  you  say  one  word  more 
against  my  sister,  I'll  — " 

"  Silence,  Mr.  Aldridge!  "  the  Inspector's  voice  rang 
out.  He  levelled  his  finger  at  the  chair  which  Fred 
had  left.     "  You  will  go  back  to  that  chair,  and  you 


i68  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

will  listen  to  the  rest  of  this  investigation  without  any 
interruptions,  or  you  will  be  placed  under  arrest  for 
interfering  with  the  course  of  justice!  " 

For  a  long,  tense  moment,  Fred  Aldridge  stared  into 
Steele's  eyes.  I  was  afraid  that  he  would  launch  him- 
self upon  him.  I  saw  Bob  Manning  leave  his  chair 
and  come  forward  to  where  the  Inspector  stood.  Then 
I  suddenly  awoke  to  my  own  duty,  and  I  was  at  Steele's 
side  before  my  friend. 

"  Enough  of  this,  Mr.  Steele!  "  I  said  quietly.  "  I 
don't  intend  to  see  Miss  Aldridge  made  to  suffer  any 
longer.  You  want  the  murderer!  Take  me!  I'll 
swear  I'm  not  a  criminal!  But  I  killed  Harrison 
Kirke!" 


CHAPTER  VIII 

To  say  that  my  sudden  admission  of  guilt  created 
a  sensation  in  the  little  party  in  Henry  Copeland's  liv- 
ing-room would  be  putting  it  very  mildly.  The  others 
sprang  to  their  feet  and  crowded  around  us.  Mr. 
Copeland  gave  a  startled  gasp.  Fred  Aldridge  was 
fairly  struck  dumb  with  amazement.  As  for  Inspec- 
tor Steele,  he  merely  stared  at  me  in  unbelieving 
astonishment. 

"  Clayton !  "  exclaimed  Steele,  at  last.  ""  You  — 
killed  Kirke?" 

The  words  seemed  to  awaken  Ellen  Aldridge  as 
if  from  a  dream.  She  gave  a  little  choking  exclama- 
tion, and  before  either  she  or  I  realized  what  was 
happening  she  had  seized  both  my  hands  in  hers. 

"  You  didn't  do  it !  "  she  cried.     "  You  didn't!  " 

Needless  to  say,  Mr.  Copeland  and  his  family  were 
astounded  by  her  action.  I  saw  Fred  Aldridge  give 
a  start. 

"Ellen!"  he  gasped. 

If  there  had  been  any  doubt  in  my  mind  as  to  her 

169 


lyo  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

purpose  in  talking  to  me  as  she  had  on  Friday  after- 
noon, it  was  instantly  dispelled  by  the  open  sincerity 
of  her  anxiety  in  my  behalf  now.  There  could  be  no 
doubt  that  she  had  been  in  earnest. 

I  realized  that  Inspector  Steele  was  staring  at  us, 
but  I  did  not  look  up.  I  was  afraid  to  raise  my  eyes, 
lest  they  should  meet  those  of  Bob  Manning. 

I  felt  that  he  was  standing  near  us,  and  I  knew  that 
the  time  for  his  discovery  of  our  secret  could  be  post- 
poned no  longer.  With  all  my  heart  I  dreaded  what 
might  follow. 

But  when  I  finally  glanced  up,  I  did  not  see  what 
I  had  expected.  Manning  was  perhaps  a  little  paler 
than  at  ordinary  times,  but  he  was  quite  calm.  There 
was  no  anger  in  his  eyes, —  only  that  indescribable 
expression  which  I  had  seen  there  when  he  had  held 
off  the  African  savages  with  a  hunting  knife. 

It  was  Inspector  Steele  who  put  an  end  to  the  confu- 
sion. 

"  Let  us  understand  what  you  mean  by  this,  Clay- 
ton 1  "  he  commanded.  "  Are  you  giving  us  to  under- 
stand that  you  are  the  one  who  killed  Harrison 
Kirke?" 

"I  —  I  think  so !  "  I  answered. 

"  Think  so !  "  repeated  the  Inspector.     "  Nonsense, 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  171 

Clayton.  If  you  have  killed  Kirke,  you  know  it.  I 
want  you  to  tell  — " 

"But  I'm  not  sure  of  it!"  I  interrupted.  "I  — 
I  only  think  I  did.  And  —  and  if  I  did,  I'm  not  the 
one  to  blame !  " 

I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  Norton  Osgood  turn 
pale  as  I  said  this.  My  words  had  apparently  no  mean- 
ing to  Inspector  Steele. 

"  I  can't  understand  you  at  all,  Clayton,"  he  de- 
clared. He  turned  to  the  others.  "  As  you  will  ob- 
serve, this  is  a  totally  unexpected  turn  of  events.  If 
what  Mr.  Clayton  says  is  true,  then  of  course  this  in- 
vestigation need  go  no  further.  I  will  make  my  report 
to  you  when  I  have  questioned  Clayton  more  fully." 

The  others  understood  that  their  presence  was  not 
required  any  longer,  and  returned  to  the  other  end 
of  the  room,  where  they  gathered  in  little  excited 
groups  to  discuss  the  affair.  They  were  all  watching 
me  now,  and  I  could  see  distrust  in  their  glances. 

"  Now,  Clayton,  we'll  talk  this  over,"  Steele  said. 
"Where  shall  it  be?     In  your  own  room  upstairs?  " 

I  agreed,  and  we  went  up.  When  we  had  entered, 
Steele  carefully  closed  the  hall  door,  and  seated  himself 
beside  me. 

"  Now,"  he  said  quietly,  "  let's  hear  it." 


172  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

I  had  resolved  to  tell  him  my  whole  story  from 
start  to  finish,  and  I  did.  I  began  by  telling  him  of 
my  trip  from  New  York  with  Bob  Manning,  and  I 
supplied  him  with  several  bits  of  information  which 
he  did  not  know  concerning  Harrison  Kirke's  life  in 
that  city.  I  gave  him  a  brief  account  of  the  conversa- 
tion which  had  taken  place  in  the  room  downstairs 
when  we  had  first  discussed  hypnotism.  I  told  him 
of  the  marvellous  power  which  Norton  Osgood  had 
displayed  over  me  and  over  Mr.  Endicott,  when  he 
had  forced  us  to  obey  his  will  in  the  living-room  on 
that  same  evening. 

Steele  was  very  much  interested  in  these  tests  of 
hypnotism,  and  asked  me  to  repeat  my  account  of  them 
several  times.  He  then  asked  me  to  go  back  at  once 
and  give  him  a  much  more  detailed  story  of  the  con- 
versation concerning  hypnotism  which  had  preceded 
the  tests  in  the  living-room. 

I  touched  only  very  lightly  upon  the  scene  which 
I  had  overheard  between  Ellen  Aldridge  and  Harrison 
Kirke,  and  I  omitted  entirely  the  conversation  which 
I  had  overheard  between  Ellen  Aldridge  and  Norton 
Osgood  shortly  afterward.  But  I  took  pains  to  tell 
him  of  Osgood's  evident  nervousness  and  terror  when 
he  had  hypnotized  me  the  second  time  in  the  living- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  173 

room.  I  informed  him  that  Mr.  Endicott  had  also 
been  hypnotized  to  do  some  unknown  thing,  which 
had  been  suggested  to  Osgood  by  young  Arthur  Cope- 
land. 

"  And  who  suggested  the  thing,  whatever  it  was, 
which  Osgood  was  to  make  you  do?"  Steele  inter- 
posed at  this  point. 

"  Miss  Aldridge  did,"  I  reluctantly  admitted.  "  I 
don't  know  what  it  could  have  been,  but  I  am  certain 
that  it  was  something  quite  innocent." 

"  Very  well,"  Steele  said.     "  Go  on." 

I  gave  him  a  vivid,  terrifying  picture  of  the  fright- 
ful nightmare  which  I  had  had  that  night.  I  told  him 
of  how  the  feeling  first  came,  and  of  how  I  gradually 
began  to  realize  that  my  will  was  under  some  power 
which  was  not  my  own.  I  told  him  of  my  walk  across 
the  room  in  the  darkness.  I  described  my  repeated 
struggles  to  break  away  from  the  power  which  was 
driving  me  onward,  my  three  attempts  to  open  the 
door  to  Kirke's  room,  my  horror  when  I  discovered 
that  I  was  carrying  a  knife  in  my  hand,  and  my  attempt 
to  get  rid  of  the  evidence  after  I  had  committed  the 
crime.  I  told  him  of  the  horrible  outcry  which  I 
had  made  a  short  time  afterward.  I  explained  how 
I  knew  in  the  morning  that  I  had  been  out  of  bed 


174  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

in  the  night,  and  told  about  the  changing  of  my 
slippers,  the  black  upon  my  fingers,  and  the  missing 
pill-box.  So  vivid  was  my  narration  of  the  v^hole 
affair  that  Inspector  Steele  sat  in  silence,  almost  v^ith- 
out  breathing,  until  I  had  finished. 

"  You  think,  then,"  he  said  finally,  "  that  you 
actually  killed  Harrison  Kirke,  but  that  you  were 
forced  to  do  it  by  the  hypnotic  power  of  Norton 
Osgood?" 

"  I  don't  know  what  else  there  is  to  think ! "  I  an- 
swered. "  Such  a  theory  sounds  impossible,  I  know; 
I  had  hardly  expected  you  to  believe  it  for  an  instant. 
But,  on  my  honor,  Mr.  Steele,  I'm  not  making  up  this 
story  to  give  an  excuse  for  my  own  guilt!  If  I  did 
kill—" 

"Of  course  I  know  you're  not,  Clayton!"  Inspec- 
tor Steele  broke  in.  "  You  just  leave  this  matter  to  me 
from  now  on,  and  I'll  see  that  we  soon  discover  who 
was  to  blame  for  this.  Now,  I'd  like  to  examine  the 
knife  that  you  hid  over  here  in  the  fireplace." 

"  Oh !  I  — "  I  paused  awkwardly.  "  You  see,  Mr. 
Steele,  I  —  I  felt  that  I  hadn't  been  the  one  to  blame 
for  Kirke's  murder,  even  though  I  had  done  it,  and  I 
made  up  my  mind  that  I'd  do  all  in  my  power  to  keep 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  175 

myself  from  being  suspected.  So  we  —  the  knife  was 
taken  away  tlie  other  night,  and  hidden." 

"  Taken  away?  "  Steele  repeated.     "  Who  took  it?  " 

"  Bob  Manning  did,  for  fear  it  would  be  found  and 
would  incriminate  me,"  I  answered. 

"  Then  we'll  have  to  ask  him  to  let  us  examine  it," 
the  Inspector  decided. 

"  Of  course,"  I  agreed.  "  There  would  be  no  object 
in  withholding  it  now." 

We  went  downstairs  in  the  hope  that  we  might  find 
Manning  there.  It  was  still  only  half-past  nine,  and 
it  was  not  at  all  likely  that  he  had  retired.  He  was 
not  with  the  others  in  the  living-room,  but  Mr.  Cope- 
land  thought  he  was  with  his  son  and  Fred  Aldridge  in 
the  room  at  the  other  end  of  the  hall.  We  were  on  the 
point  of  going  there  in  search  of  him,  when  there  was 
an  astonishing  interruption. 

"  Listen !  "  Henry  Copeland  suddenly  exclaimed. 

From  somewhere  in  the  hallway  upstairs  came  the 
sound  of  a  man's  voice  singing.  It  was  a  clear  tenor 
voice,  and  as  the  sound  came  nearer  I  was  able  to  hear 
the  words.  The  singing  kept  on,  over  and  over  again, 
as  the  man  came  slowly  down  the  stairs,  while  the 
whole  party  hurried  out  into  the  hall  and  stared  upward 


176  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

in  wonder.  I  saw  Arthur  Copeland  and  Fred  Aldridge 
hastening  out  from  the  room  at  the  end  of  the  hall. 
Bob  Manning  followed  them. 

And  still  the  man's  voice  kept  on,  again  and  again. 
He  was  singing  "  The  Watch  on  the  Rhine." 

Then  the  singer  came  in  view  upon  the  landing. 
There  was  a  general  start  of  amazement. 

Before  our  astonished  gaze  there  appeared  the  short 
form  of  a  man  in  bathrobe  and  slippers,  walking  down 
the  stairway  with  a  slow,  regular  step.  In  his  right 
hand  he  carried  an  old  sword  which  had  hung  in  the 
upper  hallway.  Upon  his  left  arm  was  an  ancient 
shield, —  a  relic  of  the  Middle  Ages.  On  his  head  he 
wore  what  was  unmistakably  a  German  soldier's  hel- 
met. And  still  his  clear  tenor  voice  kept  on,  singing 
the  same  chorus : 

"Dear  Fatherland,  no  danger  thine! 

Dear  Fatherland,  no  danger  thine! 

Firm  stand  thy  sons,  to  watch,  to  watch  the  Rhine ! 

Firm  stand  thy  sons,  to  watch,  to  watch  the  Rhine!  " 

**  By  George ! "  cried  Henry  Copeland,  aghast. 
"It's  David  Endicott!  He  left  us  suddenly  about 
twenty  minutes  ago,  and  said  he  was  going  to  bed! 
David!     David,  what  on  earth  are  you  doing?  " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  177 

But  the  lawyer  merely  kept  on  advancing,  still  sing- 
ing, while  his  eyes  stared  straight  in  front  of  him. 

"Goodness!"  exclaimed  Grace  Copeland.  "He 
has  the  German  helmet  that  Ted  Thornton  brought 
home  from  France!  Arthur,  it  was  in  your  room! 
What  is  he  doing?  " 

"  By  Jove!  "  cried  Arthur  Copeland,  in  sudden  com- 
prehension. "  I  had  forgotten  the  whole  thing ! 
That's  what  I  told  Mr.  Osgood  to  make  him  do !  " 

The  sound  of  the  exclamation  aroused  the  lawyer. 
He  gave  a  violent  start,  dropped  the  sword  from  his 
hand,  and  stared  around  at  the  others  in  confusion. 
Gradually  his  astonished  gaze  travelled  down  to  the 
heavy  shield  upon  his  arm,  and  to  the  bathrobe  and 
slippers. 

"  What's  this  ?  "  he  demanded,  blinking  stupidly. 

"  He's  been  hypnotized !  "  cried  Henry  Copeland. 

"  Why,  yes !  "  said  Mrs.  Copeland.  "  We  had  for- 
gotten the  whole  affair,  since  the  —  the  murder.  As 
I  remember  it  now,  Mr.  Clayton  was  to  have  done 
something,  also." 

"  That's  right !  "  exclaimed  Arthur  Copeland.  "  I 
suggested  this  for  Mr.  Endicott,  and  Miss  Aldridge 
thought  up  something  for  Mr.  Clayton.  Tell  us,  Mr. 
Osgood.     Has  Mr.  Clayton  done  his  thing,  too  ?  " 


178  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

They  all  turned  eagerly  to  Norton  Osgood.  I  could 
see  that  he  was  trying  to  appear  natural,  but  he  was  a 
trifle  pale. 

*'  Why,  I  —  I  really  don't  know,"  he  replied. 

"  But  I  thought  you  always  knew  as  soon  as  your 
commands  had  been  executed,"  Arthur  Copeland  ob- 
jected. 

"  Well,  I  —  I  do,  usually,"  Osgood  evaded.  "  And 
I  —  er  —  I  imagine  Mr.  Clayton  has  done  what  I  — 
what  Miss  Aldridge  wished  him  to  do." 

The  way  in  which  he  emphasized  the  last  clause 
was  unmistakable. 

"  Ellen,  do  tell  us  what  it  was ! "  Grace  Copeland 
begged  her. 

"  Oh,  I  couldn't !  "  Again  I  noticed  that  Ellen  Ald- 
ridge's  laugh  was  forced.  "  You  wouldn't  want  me  to 
spoil  it  altogether !  " 

"  Well,"  the  lawyer  remarked,  as  he  slowly  removed 
the  German  helmet  from  his  head,  "  I  only  hope,  Mr. 
Clayton,  that  it  will  be  something  as  ludicrous  as  I 
have  just  done!  " 

They  laughed,  and  the  little  group  separated.  I 
touched  Inspector  Steele's  arm,  and  drew  him  aside  for 
an  instant. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  179 

"  You  see !  "  I  said.  "  That  is  a  sample  of  what  Os- 
good's power  can  do !  " 

"  I  saw  it,"  he  replied, 

"  Don't  you  think  that  a  man  who  could  make  Mr. 
Endicott  do  that,  could  have  made  me  do  —  any- 
thing? "  I  asked. 

"  Perhaps,"  Steele  answered.  "  According  to  Mr. 
Endicott's  theory,  though,  in  a  case  where  crime  is  in- 
volved, the  so-called  '  hypnotic  limit '  would  pre- 
vent — " 

**  There  is  no  hypnotic  limit !  "  I  declared.  "  I  be- 
lieve he  made  me  do  it !  " 

"  We'll  ask  Dr.  Manning  about  the  knife,"  the  In- 
spector said. 

We  found  Manning  alone.  I  was  still  almost  afraid 
to  speak  to  him,  but  to  my  surprise  he  acted  just  as  if 
nothing  had  occurred  between  us. 

**  The  Inspector  has  learned  how  you  tried  to  save 
me  by  taking  the  knife  away  from  the  fireplace,"  I  told 
my  friend. 

"  You'd  like  to  examine  it,  Mr.  Steele?  "  he  asked, 
without  any  surprise.  He  had  evidently  expected  that 
this  would  follow  the  admission  which  I  had  made  to 
Steele. 

"  If  you  please,"  the  Inspector  said.     "  Of  course,  I 


i8o  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

realize  that  you  were  only  proving  your  loyalty  to  Clay- 
ton when  you  took  it  away.  But  I  think  we'll  have  to 
see  it." 

Manning  did  not  waste  any  more  words,  but  went 
out  at  once  to  a  vacant  space  at  the  end  of  Mr.  Cope- 
land's  garden  and  unearthed  the  weapon.  It  had  cer- 
tainly been  cleverly  hidden,  for  I  should  never  have 
suspected  that  anything  had  been  buried  there. 

The  Inspector  examined  the  thing.  He  scrutinized 
the  bloodstains,  and  announced  his  intention  of  hav- 
ing Gray  go  over  it  immediately  for  finger  prints.  We 
saw  nothing  more  of  Steele  until  morning. 

Directly  after  breakfast  the  following  day,  how- 
ever, the  Inspector  called  Bob  Manning  and  me  again 
to  my  room.  When  we  entered  and  closed  the  door,  we 
saw  that  he  had  the  knife  upon  the  table. 

"  This  thing  has  been  of  very  little  value,"  he  said. 
"  Gray  has  found  the  finger  prints  of  only  two  people 
upon  it.  One  is  Clayton,  and  the  other  is  Dr.  Man- 
ning." 

"  That  would  certainly  show  that  I  must  have 
handled  the  thing  that  night,  anyway,"  I  declared. 

"  Not  necessarily,"  Manning  objected.  "  When  we 
found  it  in  the  fireplace  there,  we  both  handled  it. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  i8i 

And  I  handled  it  later,  when  I  took  it  out  and  buried 
it." 

"  What  do  you  think  about  it,  Mr.  Steele?  "  I  asked. 

"  It's  very  hard  to  say,"  the  Inspector  replied,  slowly. 
"  It  is  Gray's  belief  that  the  criminal  wore  gloves  in 
committing  the  murder.  One  of  two  things  must  cer- 
tainly be  true,  Clayton.  Either  he  did  wear  gloves, 
or  you  must  have  actually  handled  the  knife  when  Kirke 
was  killed." 

"  Which  means  that  I  am  the  murderer,"  I  said. 

"  It  means  no  such  thing,"  Manning  declared. 
"If  you  were  compelled  to  do  it,  then  you  are  certainly 
no  murderer." 

"  Do  tell  me,  Mr.  Steele!  "  I  begged.  "Did  I  kill 
Kirke?" 

"  1  can't  tell  you,"  was  Steele's  reply. 

He  hesitated  an  instant.     We  were  both  silent. 

"  The  affair  is  entirely  too  complicated  at  present," 
he  said.  "  I  don't  know  whether  you  actually  stabbed 
Kirke  or  not." 

He  arose,  and  turned  to  the  door, 

"But  I'll  be  able  to  tell  you  by  this  evening,"  he 
promised,  as  he  left  the  room. 

After  luncheon,  he  called  me  upstairs  again.     He 


i82  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

announced  his  intention  of  questioning  me  exceedingly 
closely,  and  asked  me  to  make  all  my  answers  correct 
to  the  minutest  detail.  I  gave  my  word  that  I  would 
do  my  best. 

He  wanted  to  know  more  about  what  I  did  after  I 
entered  my  room  to  retire  on  the  night  of  the  murder. 
I  told  him  of  my  attempt  to  lock  the  door  leading  to 
Kirke's  room,  and  also  of  placing  my  pill-box  on  the 
table  just  before  getting  into  bed. 

Steele  then  requested  me  to  go  over  my  whole  ac- 
count again,  telling  him  everything  that  I  could  remem- 
ber. I  began,  and  he  interrupted  me  with  questions 
from  time  to  time. 

When  I  told  him  that  it  had  been  a  long  time  before 
I  could  sleep  at  all,  he  wanted  to  know  the  reason  for 
my  wakefulness.  I  hardly  wanted  to  tell  him  about 
the  thoughts  which  I  had  had  concerning  Ellen  Ald- 
ridge,  so  I  put  him  off  with  a  mention  of  my  state  of 
nervous  uneasiness  and  the  effect  of  the  rain  beating 
against  the  window. 

He  questioned  me  most  concerning  the  walk  which 
I  had  dreamed  of  taking  across  the  room  toward 
Kirke's  door.  He  asked  me  how  I  had  found  my  way 
in  the  dark,  and  I  told  him  that  I  had  done  it  by  sense 
of  feeling  more  than  anything  else. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  183 

"  You  say  that  you  pushed  on  that  door  three  sepa- 
rate times?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  "  It  stuck  twice,  and  the  third 
time  it  opened  without  sticking  at  all." 

"  Quite  strange.  You  say  that  you  made  a  super- 
human resistance  to  this  power  at  that  point.  When, 
in  your  opinion,  was  the  moment  at  which  you  made 
your  greatest  resistance?  " 

"  Why,"  I  answered,  slowly,  "  I'm  not  certain  — " 

"  Think,  please.  Was  it  just  before  you  made  your 
third  attempt  to  push  open  the  door  —  the  time  when 
the  door  opened  very  easily  ?  " 

"  Yes !  "  I  exclaimed,  in  sudden  recollection.  "  It 
was  then!  But  the  power  seemed  to  conquer  me 
again." 

"  Hmm,"  said  Steele.  "  Seemed  to.  Well,  go  on. 
Can't  you  possibly  remember  when  you  first  felt  the 
knife  in  your  hand  ?  " 

"I  —  I  think  it  must  have  been  there  from  the  in- 
stant I  got  out  of  bed,"  I  replied. 

"  And  you  are  certain  that  you  not  only  felt  it,  but 
saw  it,  in  Kirke's  room?  " 

"  I  saw  it  as  soon  as  I  got  inside  his  door,"  I  replied. 
"  I  could  still  feel  the  handle,  and  I  could  see  the  blade 
shining  in  the  moonlight  from  the  window." 


i84  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

Inspector  Steele  arose  suddenly,  and  crossed  to  the 
door  leading  to  the  room  which  Kirke  had  occupied. 

"  Your  finger  prints  were  found  upon  this  side  of  the 
door,"  he  said.  "  That  seems  to  substantiate  your 
dream,  so  far.  But  as  I  remember  it,  it  is  not  so  upon 
the  other  side." 

He  swung  the  door  open  into  my  room,  and  peered 
for  an  instant  at  the  other  side.  Suddenly,  a  light 
seemed  to  break  over  his  face. 

"  I've  been  crazy !  "  he  declared.  "  That  settles  it, 
then." 

"  Settles  what  ?  "  I  demanded. 

"  I  think  it  settles  whether  or  not  you  stabbed 
Kirke,"  he  answered.  "  But  I  have  a  few  more  ques- 
tions." 

He  wanted  to  hear  again  what  I  had  done  after  I 
had  dreamed  of  driving  the  knife  into  Kirke.  He  was 
much  interested  in  the  clattering  sound  which  I  thought 
I  had  heard  immediately  after  I  had  made  my  loud 
scream.  He  was  also  greatly  interested  in  the  appar- 
ently inexplicable  conditions  which  I  had  found  upon 
waking  in  the  morning,  and  especially  in  the  disappear- 
ance of  my  pill-box.  He  asked  for  a  close  description 
of  this  box. 

When  I  had  finished,  he  arose  at  once,  and  asked 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  185 

me  to  follow  him  down  to  the  living-room.  Here  he 
informed  Mr.  Copeland  that  he  was  ready  to  make  an- 
other report  to  the  guests. 

The  word  that  Steele  was  ready  to  make  another  dis- 
closure was  quickly  spread  through  the  house,  and  soon 
all  the  members  of  the  party  were  gathered  in  the  liv- 
ing-room. Bob  Manning  had  in  some  way  managed  to 
put  an  end  to  their  suspicions  of  me,  and  I  was  aston- 
ished to  find  that  most  of  them  no  longer  looked  upon 
me  as  a  guilty  man. 

"  You  were  all  very  much  startled  by  the  statement 
which  Mr.  Clayton  made  here  yesterday,  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  killed  Harrison  Kirke,"  the  Inspector  be- 
gan. "  I  doubt  if  many  of  you  were  able  to  under- 
stand his  rather  unusual  statement  that  he  was  not  mor- 
ally guilty  of  the  crime,  although  he  might  have  stabbed 
Kirke.  It  is  my  intention  to  make  these  matters  clear 
to  you  now." 

He  paused  an  instant,  and  glanced  around  the  circle 
of  tense  faces.     Norton  Osgood  was  quite  pale. 

"  Mr.  Clayton  spoke  the  truth  yesterday,"  Steele  said 
quietly.  "  He  was  driven  by  an  agency  not  his  own,  to 
the  point  of  entering  Harrison  Kirke's  room,  and  of 
taking  his  Hfe! " 


i86  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

There  was  a  start  of  horror  from  nearly  every  one 
present. 

"  When  we  remember  certain  events  which  have 
taken  place  in  this  house  very  recently,"  Steele  went  on, 
steadily,  "  it  will  not  be  difficult  for  us  to  see  the  source 
from  which  this  mysterious  agency  must  have  come  to 
Clayton!  It  is  not  difficult  for  us  to  imagine  that  he 
could  have  been  driven  to  do  the  nefarious  bidding  of 
another  man !     Friends, —  need  I  explain  further  ?  " 

"  No !  "  said  Norton  Osgood,  calmly.  "  That  is 
quite  unnecessary !  I  caused  George  Clayton  to  do  the 
murder  of  Harrison  Kirke!  /  am  the  guilty  man, — 
but  Clayton  did  the  murder  for  me !  " 

Henry  Copeland  sprang  up  and  drew  back  in  horror, 
as  he  saw  the  full  significance  of  the  thing  which  had 
been  done. 

"  Then  you  admit,  Mr.  Osgood,"  Inspector  Steele 
shot  at  him,  "  that  you  deliberately  made  use  of  your 
hypnotic  power  to  cause  Mr.  Clayton  to  kill  Kirke,  be- 
cause of  reasons  which  you  yourself  had  for  wishing 
the  murder  done !  " 

"  I  do  not !  "  Norton  Osgood  returned  instantly.  "  I 
had  no  reason  in  the  world  for  wanting  to  kill  Mr. 
Kirke!" 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  187 

"And  yet  you  admit  that  you  forced  Clayton  to 
kill  him?  "  demanded  Steele. 

"  I  did!  "  replied  Osgood.  "  At  the  request  of  an- 
other!" 

There  was  a  general  start.  In  a  flash,  I  saw  what 
Norton  Osgood  was  trying  to  do. 

"  Just  what  do  you  mean  by  that  ? "  demanded 
Steele.  "  Do  you  mean  for  us  to  infer  that  this  was 
not  only  an  indirect  murder,  but  a  doubly  indirect  mur- 
der—  that  you  forced  Clayton  to  kill  Kirke  because 
some  one  else  had  urged  you  to  do  that?  " 

"  That  is  the  truth !  "  declared  Osgood. 

"  Then  who  was  it  ?  " 

Osgood  hesitated.  For  just  a  fraction  of  a  second, 
as  though  in  spite  of  his  efforts,  he  allowed  his  eyes  to 
rest  upon  Ellen  Aldridge.  Steele  did  not  fail  to  ob- 
serve it. 

"  I  can't  answer  that  question !  "  Osgood  replied. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Inspector  Steele,  "  we  shall  leave 
the  question  of  the  motive  of  this  crime  until  after  we 
have  cleared  up  the  method  by  which  it  was  done. 
This,  then,  is  what  happened  last  Thursday  night. 
Mr.  Osgood  hypnotized  Mr.  Clayton  to  do  the  murder 
of  Harrison  Kirke,  because  he  saw  that  Clayton  could 


i88  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

be  hypnotized  the  most  easily  of  any  of  the  guests. 
Mr.  Clayton  went  to  his  bed,  destined  to  murder  Kirke 
during  the  night. 

"  At  some  time  well  past  midnight,  friends,  he  arose 
from  his  bed  under  the  influence  of  Mr.  Osgood's 
power,  found  a  knife  in  his  hand,  crossed  his  room, 
pushed  on  the  door  to  Kirke's  room  three  times  until 
it  opened,  and  went  in,  after  a  final  hopeless  struggle 
against  the  hypnotic  power.  All  this  Clayton  dreamed 
during  his  nightmare,  and  it  has  been  my  work  to  de- 
cide whether  or  not  his  dream  was  real.  He  then 
realized  that  he  had  a  knife  in  his  hand,  because  he  saw 
it  reflecting  the  moonlight.  He  stabbed  Kirke,  and 
hid  the  knife  in  his  fireplace.  The  next  morning  he 
found  indisputable  evidence  that  he  had  been  out  of 
bed  during  the  night,  and  he  later  found  the  knife  in 
the  fireplace,  where  he  had  dreamed  that  he  put  it. 
Clayton,  then,  actually  killed  Harrison  Kirke,  but  Mr. 
Osgood  is  morally  guilty  of  his  murder !  " 

"  No !  "  cried  Osgood.  "  I  admit  that  I  caused  Clay- 
ton to  do  it,  but  it  was  at  the  bidding  of — " 

"  And  that  is  where  you  are  absolutely  wrong !  " 
Inspector  Steele  cut  in,  "  Friends,  there  is  but  one 
objection  to  the  theory  which  I  have  just  outlined  for 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  189 

you.     And  that  is  the  fact  that  George  Clayton  could 
not,  and  did  not,  stab  Harrison  Kirke ! " 

"  What?  "  cried  Osgood.     The  others  gasped. 

"  Mr.  Osgood,"  Steele  went  on,  "  you  tried  to  make 
Clayton  murder  Kirke  last  Thursday  night !  But  you 
failed!  And  you  failed  because  your  power  does  not 
extend  into  the  realms  of  crime!  How  far  did  Clay- 
ton go  in  obeying  your  command  last  Thursday  night? 
He  went  just  as  far  as  his  sense  of  right  would  have 
let  him  go,  if  he  had  been  in  possession  of  his  own 
mind.  He  went  to  the  door  of  Kirke's  room,  and  no 
farther!  His  dream  up  to  that  time  was  real.  The 
changing  of  his  slippers  shows  that  he  crossed  the 
room.  And  he  took  with  him,  not  a  knife,  but  his  own 
pill-box  from  his  table  —  a  round  box,  like  the  handle 
of  a  knife!  Up  to  the  point  of  actually  entering 
Kirke's  room,  you  made  him  do  your  bidding!  Be- 
yond that,  you  failed!  And  you  failed  because  there 
was  a  '  hypnotic  limit '  in  this  case,  just  as  there  is  in 
every  case  on  record  in  which  a  crime  has  been  at- 
tempted by  hypnotism !  " 

"  But  my  finger  marks  on  the  door !  "  I  cried. 

"  True  enough !  "  said  Steele.  "  You  made  two  at- 
tempts to  push  the  door  open.     But  you  failed." 


I90  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

*'  But  I  made  a  third  attempt,  and  succeeded !  " 

"  No,  you  did  not !  "  the  Inspector  said.  "  That  was 
the  point  at  which  the  hypnotic  power  lost  its  hold  upon 
you.  You  dreamed  that  third  attempt;  you  did  not 
make  it !  " 

"  But  I  pushed  again,  and  opened  it!  "  I  cried. 

"  You  did  not  open  it  by  pushing  on  it !  "  returned 
Inspector  Steele.  "  That  would  be  an  absolute  impos- 
sibility, for  the  reason  that  the  door  opens  into  your 
room,  not  out,  as  you  dreamed  it !  " 

I  gave  a  gasp  of  astonishment. 

"  Naturally  enough,  you  failed  twice  when  you  tried 
to  push  open  a  door  that  you  should  have  pulled  open ! 
And  your  success  on  the  third  attempt  could  have  been 
nothing  but  a  hallucination!  And  everything  which 
followed  was  a  hallucination!  You  said  you  saw  the 
knife-blade  gleaming  in  the  moonlight  from  Kirke's 
window.  How  could  you  have  seen  it,  when  you  know 
well  that  there  was  a  heavy  rain  outside,  and  a  cloudy 
night?  What  became  of  your  pill-box?  You  kept  it 
in  your  hand,  while  you  dreamed  that  you  were  killing 
Kirke,  and  then  you  hid  it  in  the  fireplace.  There  is 
not  a  single  one  of  your  finger  prints  anywhere  inside 
the  door  of  Kirke's  room,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
you  never  passed  that  door !  " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  191 

"  But  the  knife  which  we  found  in  the  fireplace?"  I 
objected.  "  The  real  criminal  couldn't  possibly  have 
known  my  dream !  " 

"  You  are  wrong !  He  could !  I  asked  Dr.  Man- 
ning about  that  this  afternoon.  When  you  told  him 
your  dream,  you  told  it  in  the  Httle  room  with  the  red 
curtains.  Any  one  in  the  house  might  have  been  listen- 
ing, and  have  overheard  it.  In  fact,  Dr.  Manning  re- 
members now  that  he  had  a  feeling  during  your  account 
that  some  one  was  near.  The  real  criminal  took  out 
your  pill-box  from  where  you  had  hidden  it  in  the  fire- 
place, and  put  the  knife  in  there,  to  make  you  feel  cer- 
tain that  you  were  guilty." 

"  But,  Mr,  Steele ! "  exclaimed  Henry  Copeland. 
"  This  is  unheard-of !  Mr.  Osgood  has  just  declared 
that  he  used  his  hypnotic  power  to  make  Mr.  Clayton 
do  the  murder,  and  that  he  used  it  at  the  instigation 
of  a  third  party.  It  is  our  duty  to  locate  that  third 
party !  " 

"  I'm  afraid  that  you  are  mistaken,  Mr.  Copeland," 
Inspector  Steele  answered.  "  It  is  quite  true  that  Mr. 
Osgood  made  use  of  his  hypnotism  last  Thursday  night 
to  cause  Clayton  to  do  the  crime  which  he  wanted  done. 
It  may  or  may  not  be  true  that  Mr.  Osgood  did  this  at 
the  instigation  of  a  third  person.     But  whatever  his 


192  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

motive  was,  and  whoever  lay  behind  it,  the  question  of 
hypnotism  has  ceased  to  play  the  important  part  in  this 
case.  Mr,  Osgood  wanted  Clayton  to  kill  Kirke,  and 
he  did  his  best  to  make  him  do  it.  But  he  failed! 
Strictly  speaking,  he  is  a  murderer  at  heart.  But  I 
have  just  proved  beyond  all  possible  doubt  that  neither 
he  nor  his  hypnotism  was  responsible  for  the  death  of 
Kirke!" 

"  Then  you  mean,"  said  Mrs.  Copeland,  "  that  this 
crime  was  done  by  some  entirely  different  person,  with 
an  altogether  different  motive !  " 

"  I  mean,"  answered  Inspector  Steele,  as  he  glanced 
slowly  around  the  group  of  faces,  "  that  the  new  line 
of  investigation  which  was  started  by  Clayton's  declara- 
tion of  his  own  guilt,  has  proved  only  a  diversion  from 
the  main  line  of  reasoning  which  I  was  following  out 
yesterday.  Mr.  Osgood  has  tried  murder  by  a  dia- 
bolical method.  He  has  failed !  He  is  not  the  mur- 
derer of  Harrison  Kirke!  George  Clayton  is  not  the 
murderer !  But  someone  else  —  some  one  of  the  peo- 
ple who  are  facing  me  now  —  is! " 


CHAPTER  IX 

Inspector  Steele  stood  before  the  party  in  the  living- 
room,  where  on  the  previous  evening  he  had  declared 
that  one  of  those  present  was  a  murderer,  and  let  his 
gaze  travel  slowly  around  the  half  circle  of  tense  faces. 
Not  a  single  expression,  not  even  the  slightest  catch  of 
a  breath,  escaped  his  eyes.  He  was  searching  again  for 
some  sign  which  might  reveal  the  guilty  person,  but 
he  did  not  find  it. 

Norton  Osgood  was  standing  by  the  Inspector's  side, 
and  his  face  showed  that  this  was  a  moment  of  great 
importance  in  the  solution  of  the  mystery.  But  every 
one  of  the  other  faces,  without  exception,  portrayed 
nothing  but  tense  expectancy  and  the  keenest  excite- 
ment. 

"  It  is  now  quite  clear,"  Steele  said,  at  length,  "  that 
Harrison  Kirke  was  actually  killed  by  the  deliberate  in- 
tention of  some  person,  unaided  by  any  hypnotic  influ- 
ence, and  because  of  a  motive  which  was  entirely  that 
person's  own.  It  now  remains  to  find  out  which  one 
of  you  has  done  this.  By  what  method  can  this  be 
done?" 

193 


194  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

He  glanced  once  more  at  each  of  the  other  people, 
and  then  went  on: 

"  Detective  Gray  has  made  repeated  attempts  to 
solve  this  affair  by  means  of  finger-print  evidence, 
and  has  failed.  I  have  spent  three  days  in  the  effort  to 
solve  it  by  means  of  discovering  the  exact  motive,  and 
I,  also,  have  failed.  Only  one  course  remains,  and, 
under  the  circumstances,  it  is  strange  that  I  have  not 
thought  of  it  before.  I  have  asked  Mr.  Osgood  to 
help  me  in  this  matter." 

The  announcement  came  as  a  distinct  surprise  to 
every  one  of  us. 

"  I  am  informed  that  Mr.  Osgood  has  more  than 
once  helped  in  the  detection  of  crimes  by  means  of 
hypnotism,"  the  Inspector  continued.  "  We  have  all 
heard  the  admission  which  he  made  to  us  yesterday, 
and  we  all  realize  that  he,  having  attempted  indirect 
murder,  is  morally  guilty  of  the  death  of  Harrison 
Kirke.  I  have  now  offered  him  this  opportunity  of 
redeeming  himself  before  us  and  before  the  world,  by 
aiding  me  to  the  best  of  his  ability  in  learning  who 
actually  did  the  crime  which  he  himself  was  only  too 
willing  to  do." 

"  Then  you  mean  that  you  can  learn  the  truth  by  — 
hypnotism  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Copeland. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  195 

"  Such  is  Mr.  Osgood's  belief,"  replied  Steele. 
"  And  I  have  every  reason  to  think  that  his  confidence 
is  warranted." 

"  But  —  but  how  ?  "  Fred  Aldridge  questioned. 

"  We  intend  to  show  you,  at  once,"  was  the  Inspec- 
tor's answer.  "  Detective  Gray  is  in  the  hall  now. 
As  soon  as  he  is  ready,  we  shall  proceed." 

The  detective  soon  entered,  and  was  so  astounded  by 
Steele's  proposed  method  that  it  was  hard  for  him 
not  to  ridicule  it  openly. 

"  In  my  opinion,"  he  declared,  "  we  should  arrest 
this  man  who  admitted  he  tried  to  make  Mr.  Clayton 
do  it." 

"  Which  is  exactly  what  the  real  criminal  undoubt- 
edly hopes  we  will  do !  "  returned  Inspector  Steele. 
"  We  could  do  nothing  more  foolish,  Mr.  Gray.  It 
stands  to  reason  that  Mr.  Osgood  cannot  possibly  be 
the  one  who  stabbed  Kirke.  He  was  so  confident  of 
his  power  to  make  Clayton  do  it,  that  it  is  incon- 
ceivable that  he  should  have  handled  the  knife  himself. 
He  would  not  have  thought  of  it,  when  he  expected  an- 
other man  to  do  it  for  him.  And  there  is  no  better 
way  in  which  he  can  atone  for  his  murderous  inten- 
tions, than  to  assist  me  in  bringing  the  real  murderer 
to  justice." 


196  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  What  scheme  do  you  propose  to  carry  out  ?  "  asked 
Gray. 

"  I'll  explain  our  plan  in  detail,  for  all  of  you,"  re- 
plied Steele.  "  I  intend  to  have  Mr.  Osgood  hypnotize 
each  one  of  you,  in  turn.  Each  of  you  will  have  your 
mind  in  his  pov^er  for  several  minutes.  Nov^,  Mr.  Os- 
good's theory  is  the  following.  Whatever  thing  is 
uppermost  in  your  minds  at  the  time  when  he 
hypnotizes  you,  will  remain  there  during  his  experi- 
ment. He  can  cause  each  of  you  to  give  a  description 
of  whatever  scene  has  made  the  greatest  impression 
upon  you  during  the  past  few  days.  He  can  also  com- 
mand you  to  attempt  to  do  that  thing,  whatever  it  is, 
which  has  been  uppermost  in  your  mind,  and  you  will 
be  forced  to  do  it !  " 

There  was  a  sudden  murmur  of  astonishment  and 
apprehension  from  the  little  party. 

"  You  can  all  see  what  the  result  will  be !  "  In- 
spector Steele  went  on.  "  To  the  person  who  killed 
Harrison  Kirke,  there  will  be  one  great  picture  above 
all  others  in  his  mind  —  the  instant  of  the  murder ! 
There  can  be  only  one  thought  uppermost  in  his  mind 
—  to  conceal  evidence!  The  guilty  person  may  de- 
scribe the  scene  of  the  crime.     He  will  certainly  do  his 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  197 

level  best  to  conceal  evidence!  All  that  remains  for 
the  rest  of  us,  is  to  watch !  " 

I  glanced  quickly  at  the  faces  of  the  others.  Every 
one  was  pale.  There  was  clearly  the  one  terrifying 
thought  in  the  mind  of  each:  "  What  if  I  should  act 
in  a  suspicious  manner?" 

**  We  shall  try  the  test  with  every  single  member  of 
this  party !  "  Steele  declared.  "  No  matter  what  your 
personal  feelings  may  be  in  regard  to  hypnotism,  I 
must  insist  upon  that.  Mr.  Osgood  will  certainly  not 
do  any  injury  to  any  of  you.  And  there  can  be  no  ex- 
ceptions made !  " 

I  wondered  if  these  words  were  meant  to  include  me, 
also.  I  now  shrank  more  than  ever  from  again  placing 
my  mind  under  the  power  of  Norton  Osgood. 

Inspector  Steele  quietly  placed  two  chairs  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  room.  I  shuddered  as  I  saw  them.  The 
scene  was  exactly  the  same  as  on  that  Thursday  night. 
And  yet  how  different ! 

"  It  will  not  matter  at  all  in  what  order  you  come," 
Steele  said.  **  You  must  all  undergo  the  test,  sooner 
or  later.  Will  —  er  —  will  some  one  kindly  volunteer 
to  be  the  first  ?  " 

He  glanced  around  at  the  white  faces.     But  no  one 


198  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

spoke.  They  were  all  too  terrified  by  the  power  which 
Osgood  had  shown.  Five  long  seconds  passed,  then 
ten. 

I  made  up  my  mind  suddenly.  I  had  just  been  ex- 
onerated from  all  suspicion,  and  it  was  my  place  to 
submit  to  the  affair  first  of  all.  I  took  one  step  for- 
ward.    But  Manning  grasped  my  arm. 

"  Not  you,  George,"  he  said.  "  You've  had  terrors 
enough  with  this  business  already.     I'll  do  it  first." 

"  But  you  said  you  were  afraid  of  hypnotism !  "  I 
declared. 

"  I  am ! "  he  answered ;  "  but  that  doesn't  matter. 
Mr.  Osgood,  I'm  ready." 

"  No,  no.  Bob !  "  Fred  Aldridge  protested.  "  Mr. 
Steele,  don't  let  him!  With  the  horror  which  he's 
always  had  of  hypnotism,  it  would  be  nothing  less 
than  criminal  to  let  him  be  tortured  first !  " 

"  Fred's  right.  Bob,  I'm  sure !  "  young  Copeland 
agreed.  "  It  won't  be  half  as  hard  after  some  one  else 
has  tried  it.     Wait !  " 

"  I  am  quite  willing  to  be  the  first,"  Mrs.  Copeland 
volunteered. 

Manning  returned  to  his  chair.  Mrs.  Copeland  came 
forward  and  took  her  place  in  front  of  Norton  Osgood. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  199 

She,  in  contrast  to  the  others,  did  not  seem  to  have  the 
slightest  dread  of  the  proceeding. 

Norton  Osgood  began  just  as  he  had  on  that  fatal 
Thursday  evening.  He  asked  for  Mrs.  Copeland's 
undivided  attention,  and  started  the  motion  with  his 
hands  which  had  become  so  familiar  to  me.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  same  manner  for  perhaps  three  minutes. 
He  then  raised  his  right  hand  over  his  shoulder  —  a 
signal  to  Steele  that  Mrs.  Copeland  was  within  his 
power. 

"  Get  a  description  of  the  scene  which  has  made  the 
greatest  effect  upon  her  within  the  last  few  days,"  was 
the  Inspector's  command. 

"  You  will  describe  what  you  see  now !  "  Osgood  said 
to  Mrs.  Copeland,  in  low  tones.  "  You  will  describe 
what  you  see  now !  " 

"  I  see  —  a  room,"  her  voice  replied,  very  slowly. 
"  A  room,  with  a  table,  and  people  seated  around  it. 
A  room,  and  a  table,  and  people." 

**  Are  they  aU  there  ?  "  Norton  Osgood  demanded. 

"  No,"  she  answered.  "  My  son  is  not  there.  But 
see!  He  is  coming  back  now!  He  is  running,  and 
his  face  is  pale,  and  he  is  telling  us  —  that  Mr.  Kirke 
has  been  murdered !  " 


200  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  She  remembers  that  morning  in  the  dining-room, 
when  Arthur  discovered  the  crime,"  Henry  Copeland 
explained  to  Steele. 

"  Very  well,"  the  Inspector  said.  "  Go  ahead,  Mr. 
Osgood." 

*'  You  will  do  whatever  is  uppermost  in  your  mind !  " 
Osgood  commanded.     "  You  will  do  it  —  now !  " 

But  Mrs.  Copeland  merely  sat  in  silence  in  her  chair. 

**  She's  been  so  upset  that  she  doesn't  know  what  to 
do !  "  Grace  Copeland  exclaimed. 

"  That  is  sufficient,"  the  Inspector  said.  "  You  may 
release  her." 

Osgood  did  so.  She  arose,  and  declared  that  she 
could  remember  quite  clearly  all  that  she  had  said. 
We  waited  for  another  volunteer. 

Lucy  Aldridge  was  the  next  to  offer  herself.  She 
was  plainly  in  dread  of  Osgood's  power,  but  she  was 
making  a  great  effort  not  to  show  her  fear. 

Osgood  asked  for  her  attention,  and  began  the  mo- 
tion of  his  hands.  But  after  about  a  minute,  he  sud- 
denly paused. 

"  I'll  have  to  ask  for  your  entire  attention,"  he  said. 

*'  But  I  have  certainly  been  giving  it,"  she  replied. 
"  I  have  not  thought  of  anything  else  since  I  took  my 
place  here." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  201 

Osgood  said  he  would  try  again.  But  after  another 
two  minutes  of  endeavor,  he  again  shook  his  head. 

"  Have  you  experienced  the  least  feeling  which  is 
not  ordinary,  since  I  began  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  No.     I  haven't  noticed  it." 

"  I'll  try  once  more,"  said  Osgood. 

He  spent  nearly  five  minutes  this  time.  But  in  the 
end  he  gave  it  up  with  a  hopeless  gesture.  He  turned 
to  Steele. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  he  said,  "  but  Miss  Lucy  Aldridge  is 
apparently  one  of  those  people  whose  minds  cannot  be 
influenced  in  any  way  by  my  power.  It  is  not  unusual 
for  me  to  find  such  people." 

"  Then  we'll  excuse  Miss  Lucy  Aldridge  from  any 
further  test,"  the  Inspector  decided.  "  Is  —  is  some 
one  else  ready  now?  Oh,  very  well,  Miss  Copeland. 
Thank  you." 

Grace  Copeland  showed  less  fear  than  Lucy  Ald- 
ridge, though  she  was  plainly  quite  nervous.  Osgood 
did  not  find  any  difficulty  in  hypnotizing  her;  within 
two  minutes  after  beginning,  he  signalled  to  Steele  that 
he  was  ready. 

The  results  of  the  first  part  of  the  test  with  Grace 
Copeland  were  precisely  the  same  as  in  the  case  of  her 
mother.     After  a  series  of  questions,  she  depicted  the 


202  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

scene  as  it  had  been  in  the  dining-room  when  Arthur 
Copeland  had  announced  his  discovery  of  the  tragedy 
upstairs.  When  she  was  told  to  do  whatever  was 
uppermost  in  her  mind,  she  did  not  do  anything.  Os- 
good was  on  the  point  of  ending  the  test,  when  she 
finally  arose  and  crossed  the  room  to  Fred  Aldridge. 
She  placed  her  arm  on  his  shoulder. 

"  That  will  be  sufficient,"  Inspector  Steele  said, 
dryly.     "  We'll  have  another,  if  you  please." 

The  next  to  volunteer  was  Mr,  Henry  Copeland. 
He  came  forward  calmly,  and  took  his  place  in  the 
chair  before  Osgood. 

But  again  the  hypnotism  failed.  Norton  Osgood 
tried  every  means  in  his  power  for  over  ten  minutes, 
but  he  was  unable  to  make  the  slightest  impression  upon 
the  banker's  mind.  He  reluctantly  told  Steele  that  he 
would  have  to  admit  his  second  failure  of  the  evening. 

The  Inspector  was  a  trifle  more  annoyed  this  time, 
and  asked  Osgood  if  he  thought  such  failures  would  be 
likely  to  occur  among  the  six  people  who  had  not  yet 
been  tried. 

"  I  trust  not,  Mr.  Steele,"  was  Osgood's  sincere  re- 
ply. "  It  is  most  unfortunate  that  I  should  have 
found  two  such  people  among  these  ten,  and  I'll  cer- 
tainly do  my  best  to  prevent  its  occurring  again." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  203 

This  time  it  was  Fred  Aldridge  who  started  forward 
to  the  chair,  but  Ellen  Aldridge  was  nearer,  and  arose 
at  the  same  instant.  Norton  Osgood  chose  her  in  pref- 
erence to  her  brother. 

Almost  immediately,  I  saw  that  there  was  a  notice- 
able difference  in  his  manner.  With  the  other  people, 
he  had  merely  been  carrying  out  Steele's  instructions. 
But  from  the  instant  that  Ellen  Aldridge  took  her  place 
in  the  chair  before  him,  I  had  an  instinctive  feeling  that 
Osgood  was  doing  his  best  to  cause  her  to  say  or  do 
something  which  might  appear  suspicious.  As  the 
hypnotism  went  on,  my  feeling  became  a  conviction, 
and  my  dislike  of  Norton  Osgood  grew  until  it  had  be- 
come almost  a  hatred. 

My  sudden  start  was  very  nearly  one  of  guilt,  when 
I  realized  that  she  was  describing  the  little  room  with 
the  red  curtains  —  the  room  where  she  had  first  shown 
me  that  she  no  longer  cared  for  Bob  Manning  as  she 
had  before. 

"  It  is  a  small  room,"  she  said  slowly,  in  reply  to 
Osgood's  questioning.  "  Very  small,  with  a  door  into 
the  hall." 

"  How  small?  "  demanded  Osgood.  "  Isn't  it  large 
enough  to  contain  a  bed  ?  " 

"No!"  she  answered,  at  once.     "It  is  much  too 


204  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

small,  and  there  is  not  any  bed.  But  there  is  a  writing- 
desk,  and  —  and  a  door  into  the  hall." 

"Yes,  indeed;  a  door  into  the  hall,"  said  Norton 
Osgood.  "  And  perhaps  another  door,  and  a  window 
beyond?  " 

"  No,"  persisted  Ellen  Aldridge.  "  No  other  door, 
and  no  window  except  the  one  near  the  hall  door. 
But  —  but  at  the  other  end  of  the  room  — " 

"  Yes,  yes !     What  is  at  the  other  end?  " 

"  Something  —  red,"  she  replied,  very  slowly. 

*'  Something  red !  "  repeated  Norton  Osgood.  "  A 
bed !     Something  on  it  that  has  once  been  a  man !  " 

"  There  is  no  bed,"  she  repeated  calmly,  shaking 
her  head.  With  her  mind  under  Osgood's  power  as  it 
was,  she  seemed  unable  to  grasp  the  significance  of 
what  he  was  trying  to  make  her  say.  "  But  at  the 
other  end  —  something  red." 

"  Something  red !  "  exclaimed  Norton  Osgood  again. 
"Red  what?     Red  — blood?" 

There  were  horrified  exclamations  from  the  others. 
Ellen  Aldridge  awakened  at  last  to  what  Osgood  was 
trying  to  do. 

"  No !     No !  "  she  cried,  in  terror. 

"Then  what   is   it   that  is   red?"   he   demanded. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS   .  205 

*'  What  is  it  that  you  don't  dare  to  tell  us?  It's  blood ! 
Red  blood!" 

"  It  isn't  blood!  "  she  answered.  "  It  is  red  cloth! 
Red  curtains !  " 

"  It's  blood !  "  cried  Osgood,  as  she  drew  away  from 
him  in  fear.  "  It's  red  blood  that  you  see,  and  there  is 
a  bed  —  and  in  your  hand  — " 

**  Enough  of  that !  "  Inspector  Steele  cut  in,  as  Nor- 
ton Osgood  continued  his  attack  upon  the  helpless  girl. 
"  Miss  Aldridge  is  describing  the  writing-room  next 
to  this  room  —  the  little  place  with  the  red  curtains. 
Release  her  at  once,  and  we'll  go  on !  " 

Osgood  obeyed,  reluctantly  enough.  She  arose  in  a 
dazed  manner,  still  pale  from  the  horror  of  his  accusa- 
tion. 

"  You  didn't  have  her  do  whatever  is  uppermost  in 
her  mind,"  the  methodical  David  Endicott  reminded 
Steele. 

"  That  is  quite  unnecessary,  in  this  case,"  the  In- 
spector replied.  "  Mr.  Aldridge,  you  were  willing  to 
be  the  next." 

"  Certainly,"  answered  Fred  Aldridge.  He  took  his 
place  in  the  chair.  He  had  submitted  to  Osgood's 
treatment  so  often  that  he  had  no  fear  of  hypnotism. 


2o6  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

Fred  Aldridge  gave  exactly  the  same  description 
that  Mrs,  Copeland  and  her  daughter  had  given,  and 
told  of  Arthur  Copeland's  startling  discovery  of  Kirke's 
murder.  Osgood  did  not  make  the  slightest  attempt  to 
cause  him  to  say  anything  more. 

"  Now^  give  him  the  rest  of  the  test,"  the  Inspector 
commanded. 

"  You  will  do  whatever  is  uppermost  in  your  mind !  " 
said  Norton  Osgood.     "  Do  it  now !  " 

Fred  Aldridge  arose  instantly.  He  stood  irresolute 
for  an  instant,  and  then  went  slowly  to  the  little  table 
at  the  end  of  the  room.  Here  he  carefully  searched 
through  three  piles  of  books  and  magazines,  and  looked 
among  several  papers  which  were  lying  there.  The 
others  watched  him  in  astonishment. 

He  then  walked  slowly  around  the  room,  staring 
straight  in  front  of  him  as  he  passed  the  open  spaces, 
and  peering  carefully  into  all  the  corners.  He  fol- 
lowed this  by  a  systematic  search  of  the  floor  under  the 
chairs,  and  finally  lifted  the  edges  of  two  rugs  and 
peered  underneath.  At  length  he  apparently  gave  up 
his  search  in  the  living-room,  and  turned  toward  the 
hall  door, 

"  Ask  him  what  he  is  looking  for,"  Steele  put  in 
quickly. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  207 

"  What  is  it  that  you  want  ?  "  demanded  Osgood. 

Fred  Aldridge  paused  on  the  threshold. 

"  A  letter,"  he  answered. 

*'What  letter?" 

*'  My  o>vn  letter,"  was  his  reply.  "  I  lost  it  —  some- 
where." 

"  Release  him,"  Steele  ordered. 

When  Osgood  had  obeyed,  the  Inspector  addressed 
Aldridge. 

"  You  were  conscious  that  you  were  searching  the 
room  for  a  letter?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Fred.  "  It  was  in  my  mind  before 
I  was  hypnotized,  that  I  must  find  it.  It  was  an  impor- 
tant letter  from  my  business  firm,  which  I  must  have 
dropped  somewhere  this  morning." 

"  Very  well,"  the  Inspector  said.  "  Who  will  be  the 
next?" 

"  I  will,"  Mr.  Endicott  answered. 

We  all  half  expected  that  David  Endicott's  actions 
might  be  more  or  less  laughable,  but  we  were  certainly 
not  prepared  for  the  astounding  events  which  fol- 
lowed. 

Before  Mr.  Endicott  had  progressed  far  in  picturing 
the  scene  which  was  in  his  mind,  I  saw  puzzled  glances 
between  the  Copelands.     It  was  plain  that  none  of  them 


2o8  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

recognized  the  place  which  he  was  describing,  Nor- 
ton Osgood,  too,  was  perplexed,  and  questioned  the 
lawyer  repeatedly. 

"  I  see  a  very  small  room,"  Mr.  Endicott  answered. 
"  A  very  small,  plain  room,  w:'th  shelves  all  around." 

"  Shelves !  "  exclaimed  Henry  Copeland. 

"  What  is  on  the  shelves  ?  "  asked  Osgood. 

"  On  some  of  them  —  dishes,"  was  the  surprising  an- 
swer. "  And  on  others  —  pies,  and  —  and  good 
things." 

"  The  pantry !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Copeland,  in  aston- 
ishment. 

"  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  tell  me  what  emo- 
tional instant  any  person  could  pass  through  in  the 
pantry? "  the  Inspector  demanded,  in  open  amaze- 
ment. 

"  And  what  has  he  been  doing  there  ?  "  Detective 
Gray  questioned. 

"  Ask  the  cook  if  she  has  missed  any  pies!  "  Arthur 
Copeland  suggested. 

We  all  laughed  heartily  —  all  except  Inspector 
Steele.  He  was  plainly  impatient  at  the  nonsensical 
turn  which  his  investigation  was  taking. 

"  Give  him  the  other  part  of  the  test,"  he  ordered 
Osgood. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  209 

Norton  Osgood  repeated  the  command  which  he  had 
given  to  the  others. 

Without  an  instant  of  hesitation,  David  Endicott 
arose  and  v^alked  straight  out  into  the  hall.  Detective 
Gray  followed  him.  The  other  people  started  for- 
ward, also,  but  Steele  waved  them  back, 

"  Make  him  come  back  here  when  he  has  done 
whatever  he  has  started  to  do,"  he  told  Osgood. 

We  waited  in  silence  for  perhaps  two  minutes. 
Then  Mr.  Endicott  returned.  When  the  others  saw 
what  he  was  carrying,  there  was  a  murmur  of  amaze- 
ment. 

David  Endicott  had  brought  in  a  white  soap-dish, 
with  a  piece  of  sand-soap! 

It  was  Henry  Copeland  who  first  saw  what  it  was 
all  about. 

"  Oh !  "  he  exclaimed,  turning  to  the  Inspector.  "  I 
know  what  he  was  thinking  about.  The  other  day, 
when  he  put  on  that  old  shield,  he  got  some  greasy  rust 
all  over  his  hand,  and  he's  been  trying  to  get  the  stain 
off  with  sand-soap  ever  since !  " 

In  spite  of  his  disgust  at  the  waste  of  time  and  ef- 
fort, Steele  was  forced  to  laugh  with  the  rest. 

The  Inspector  was  about  to  order  Endicott  released, 
when  the  lawyer  startled  us  all  by  speaking. 


2IO  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  What  am  I  to  do  with  this?  "  he  asked,  slowly. 

Norton  Osgood  caught  his  breath,  as  though  he  had 
received  a  sudden  inspiration, 

"  Give  it,"  he  commanded,  in  a  quiet  tone,  "  to  the 
one  who  can  use  it  best !  " 

The  lawyer  stood  irresolute,  and  Osgood  repeated 
his  command. 

*'  Give  it  to  the  one  who  can  use  it  best !  " 

And  David  Endicott  turned  slowly  toward  the  group 
of  men  beside  Steele. 

They  all  drew  back  instinctively.  They  did  not  un- 
derstand the  meaning  of  Osgood's  strange  command, 
and,  not  understanding,  they  were  afraid. 

The  lawyer,  staring  straight  in  front  of  him,  fas- 
tened his  gaze  upon  Arthur  Copeland,  and  started 
slowly  toward  him,  holding  the  soap-dish  at  arm's 
length,  and  extending  it  toward  the  banker's  son.  But 
Arthur  Copeland  side-stepped  adroitly,  and  eluded 
Endicott's  advance. 

Baffled  in  his  first  attempt  to  carry  out  his  command, 
the  obedient  Mr.  Endicott  turned  his  attention  to  the 
elder  Copeland,  and  made  his  way  toward  him  with 
the  soap-dish.  But  Henry  Copeland  was  no  more 
anxious  to  take  the  thing  than  his  son  had  been.  His 
nerves  had  been  strained  almost  to  the  breaking-point 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  211 

by  the  days  of  mystery  which  he  had  passed  through, 
and  by  the  fascinating  terror  of  Norton  Osgood's 
power.  He  stared  at  the  white  soap-dish  as  though  he 
thought  it  contained  a  hypnotic  charm  of  dread  signifi- 
cance, and  hastily  drew  back  out  of  the  lawyer's  reach. 

But  David  Endicott  refused  to  stop  until  he  had 
obeyed  Osgood's  command.  Turning  suddenly,  he 
caught  sight  of  Fred  Aldridge,  who  had  drawn  back 
until  he  was  in  one  corner  of  the  room.  Even  the 
temporarily  dazed  brain  of  the  lawyer  was  able  to  ob- 
serve that  Fred  had  put  himself  in  such  a  position  in 
the  corner  that  escape  was  quite  impossible.  With 
something  very  much  like  an  exclamation  of  relief, 
Endicott  advanced  upon  Fred  Aldridge. 

But  Bob  Manning  had  been  anticipating  just  that 
thing.  He  had  seen  the  nameless  terror  upon  Fred's 
face  when  the  lawyer  started  toward  him  with  that 
awe-inspiring  stare  in  his  eyes,  and  he  knew  that  his 
friend  was  in  mortal  fear  as  the  hypnotic  victim  ap- 
proached. Manning  stepped  forward  rapidly,  clutched 
the  lawyer's  arm,  and  held  him  back  from  Fred  Ald- 
ridge. 

Mr.  Endicott  was  not  in  the  least  offended.  He 
turned  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction,  and  pushed  the 
soap-dish  into  Bob  Manning's  hands.     There  was  a 


212  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

general  laugh,  and  the  lawyer  awoke  to  his  surround- 
ings. 

My  friend  stood  for  a  moment  in  surprised  silence, 
gazing  at  the  object  which  had  been  placed  in  his 
hand.     He  smiled. 

"  Am  I  to  assume  that  there  is  any  particular  — 
significance  in  this?  "  he  asked. 

"  We  can't  conceive  of  any,"  was  the  Inspector's 
reply.     "  We'll  have  the  next  one,  please." 

I  was  the  nearest  to  Osgood  at  the  time,  and  I  of- 
fered myself.  My  sensations  were  exactly  the  same 
as  they  had  been  during  the  hypnotism  on  that  Thurs- 
day evening.  For  a  minute,  I  could  hear  Norton 
Osgood's  voice,  and  could  see  the  motion  of  his  hands. 
Then  the  room  began  to  fade  from  my  sight,  and  I 
lost  consciousness  of  what  was  going  on.  Suddenly, 
from  a  distance,  I  heard  Osgood's  voice. 

"  You  will  describe  what  you  see  now !  "  it  said. 

At  the  same  instant,  I  realized  that  some  picture  was 
taking  shape  before  me.  At  first  it  was  vague  and  in- 
distinct, but  soon  I  was  able  to  make  out  the  outlines 
of  a  room.  I  heard  Osgood  repeat  his  command. 
Then,  with  a  start  of  horror,  I  recognized  my  own 
room,  just  as  it  had  been  when  I  had  dreamed  of  mur- 
dering Harrison  Kirke. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  213 

"  I  see  a  room,"  my  own  voice  said,  from  somewhere 
in  the  distance.  "  A  room  of  medium  size,  with  a 
bed,  and  a  fireplace,  and  —  and  two  doors." 

"  Where  do  the  doors  lead?  "  I  heard  Osgood  ask. 

"  One  leads  to  the  hallway,"  was  my  answer.  "  The 
other  —  the  other  leads  —  to  Kirke's  room !  " 

I  felt  a  shiver  of  horror  as  I  said  the  words.  At 
that  instant,  all  my  terror  of  Norton  Osgood  returned. 
I  felt  again  the  torture  of  my  nightmare.  My  only 
thought  was  to  cry  aloud  for  help. 

"  You  will  do  whatever  is  uppermost  in  your  mind !  " 
Osgood's  voice  commanded.     "  Do  it  now !  " 

And  I  did  it.  I  took  one  long  breath  —  and 
screamed.  It  was  just  such  a  scream  as  I  had  made  on 
the  night  of  Kirke's  murder  —  high,  long-drawn,  ter- 
rifying. And  as  its  echoes  resounded  through  the  liv- 
ing-room, I  myself  started  at  the  sound,  and  awoke  to 
my  surroundings. 

I  was  just  in  time  to  see  the  effect  that  my  terrible 
cry  had  produced. 

The  nerves  of  Henry  Copeland's  family  and  friends 
had  already  stood  more  than  they  could  be  expected  to 
stand.  My  scream  was  echoed  by  another  from  Grace 
Copeland.  She  sprang  to  her  feet  in  terror,  and  her 
mother  and    father   were   quick   to    follow.     Arthur 


214  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

Copeland  gave  a  choking  gasp,  and  David  Endicott 
started  back  as  if  some  one  had  poked  a  needle  into 
his  side.  Fred  Aldridge  sprang  up  and  staggered  back, 
but  tripped  over  his  own  chair,  and  fell.  Even  Bob 
Manning  was  completely  unnerved.  He  gave  a  start, 
and  dropped  the  soap-dish.  It  clattered  to  the  floor, 
and  broke  into  three  pieces.  He  sprang  forward,  and 
gripped  my  arm  until  it  hurt. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  George,  don't  cry  out  that 
way ! "  His  voice  was  hoarse  with  real  fear. 
"  What's  the  matter?     What  did  he  do  to  you?  " 

I  was  dazed,  and  I  did  not  even  answer  him. 

"  Mr.  Steele,  we  must  be  more  reasonable ! "  ex- 
claimed Henry  Copeland,  who  was  just  recovering 
from  his  fright.  "  We  can't  let  these  people  be  tor- 
tured this  way,  for  no  reason  at  all !  " 

"  Mr.  Copeland,  we  must  complete  this  test !  "  In- 
spector Steele  insisted.  "  Whatever  frightened  Mr. 
Clayton  was  the  result  of  his  own  mental  condition.  I 
will  ask  you  all  to  calm  yourselves,  so  that  we  can 
proceed." 

"  But  why  need  you  have  tested  Mr.  Clayton  at 
all?  "  demanded  Ellen  Aldridge.  "  You  already  knew 
that  he  was  innocent." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  215 

"Very  true,"  replied  the  Inspector.  "It  was 
merely  through  fairness  to  the  others ;  I  had  said  that 
I  must  include  every  one.  If  we  are  ready  now,  we 
shall  continue  with  the  two  who  remain." 

Bob  Manning  and  Arthur  Copeland  were  the  two  in 
question.     The  former  came  forward  to  the  chair. 

Manning  had  plainly  showed  his  fear  of  hypnotism, 
but  his  calm  manner  now  was  such  that  no  one  could 
have  suspected  it.  He  faced  Norton  Osgood  without 
a  word,  and  allowed  him  to  begin. 

I  had  half  imagined  that  my  friend  would  prove  to 
be  a  third  party  who  could  not  be  affected  by  Osgood's 
power,  but  I  presently  saw  my  mistake.  After  work- 
ing for  perhaps  seven  or  eight  minutes,  Norton  Os- 
good signalled  to  the  Inspector  that  the  young  doctor 
had  been  hypnotized. 

I  was  a  trifle  surprised  at  this,  but  I  was  more  sur- 
prised when  Bob  Manning  began  his  description. 
Astounded,  and  almost  unable  to  believe  what  I  was 
hearing,  I  listened.  As  Manning  described,  step  by 
step,  the  room  which  was  in  his  mind,  I  began  to  realize 
that  there  could  be  no  mistake  as  to  what  place  he  was 
picturing.  It  was  unquestionably  the  little  room  with 
the  red  curtains. 


2i6  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

For  a  moment  I  was  as  much  puzzled  as  the  others. 
Then,  I  suddenly  remembered.  I  turned  quickly  to 
the  Inspector. 

"  I  know  what  he  is  thinking  of,"  I  told  him.  "  That 
was  where  I  first  told  him  that  I  believed  I  had  stabbed 
Kirke." 

Steele  nodded. 

*'  You  will  do  whatever  is  uppermost  in  your  mind !  " 
Osgood  commanded. 

Bob  Manning  arose,  and  walked  across  the  room. 
He  paused  at  the  place  where  he  had  just  dropped  the 
white  soap-dish,  and  stared  down  at  the  fragments. 
Then  he  stooped,  as  though  he  felt  in  duty  bound  to 
remove  the  object  which  he  had  let  fall  there.  But  his 
fingers  did  not  touch  the  soap-dish.  He  drew  away, 
with  a  gasp  of  horror. 

We  looked  on  in  astonishment.  Norton  Osgood  re- 
sumed the  tactics  which  he  had  tried  upon  David  Endi- 
cott. 

"  Pick  it  up !  "  commanded  Osgood.     "  Pick  it  up !  " 

Again  Bob  Manning  bent  over  the  object  on  the  floor. 
But  again  he  drew  away. 

"  Pick  it  up !  "  repeated  Norton  Osgood. 

"  I  can't !  "  said  Manning. 

A  third  time  he  put  out  his  hand.     But  again  he 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  217 

drew  back.  We  could  see  that  his  face  was  white  with 
terror,  as  he  stared  down  at  the  thing  which  lay  before 
him. 

"  Why  can't  you  pick  it  up?  "  demanded  Osgood. 

"That  is  enough!"  Steele  interrupted  suddenly. 
"  There  is  such  a  thing  as  carrying  this  horror  too  far. 
Release  him." 

When  Manning  saw  that  it  was  only  the  broken 
soap-dish  which  lay  at  his  feet,  he  did  not  speak.  For 
a  second  he  merely  stared  down  at  it  in  silence.  Then 
he  turned  quickly  to  me. 

"  George !  "  he  cried.  "  Do  you  know  what  it  was? 
Do  you  know  what  I  saw  there?  " 

"  What?  "  I  demanded.     "  Tell  me !  " 

"  It  was  a  snake !  "  he  answered.  "  A  deadly  snake 
—  the  kind  we  used  to  see  in  Africa!  I  could  see  it 
coiled  there,  ready  to  strike !  " 

"  Upon  my  word,  Mr.  Steele,"  exclaimed  Henry 
Copeland,  "  it's  time  for  us  to  put  an  end  to  this  affair ! 
I  can't  sit  here  and  see  my  friends  terrified  with  such 
visions  as  that,  and  still  think  we  are  doing  it  in  behalf 
of  justice!  " 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Copeland!  "  Inspector 
Steele  said,  gravely.  He  turned  to  face  Norton  Os- 
good. 


2i8  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Did  you  make  Dr.  Manning  see  that  snake,  with 
the  deliberate  intention  of  frightening  him?"  he 
demanded. 

"  Of  course  I  didn't !  "  returned  Osgood.  "  On  my 
honor,  I  didn't!  Why,  I  couldn't  have  known,  until 
just  now,  that  he  had  ever  been  in  Africa !  " 

Steele  gave  him  a  searching  glance,  as  though  he 
were  not  at  all  certain  that  the  man  was  not  lying. 
Then  he  turned  to   Arthur   Copeland. 

"  You  are  the  last,"  he  said.  "If  you  will  be  kind 
enough  to  take  your  place  here,  we'll  finish  this 
testing." 

Osgood  did  not  find  any  difficulty  in  hypnotizing 
young  Copeland.  But  the  description  which  the 
banker's  son  gave  was  a  distinct  shock  to  every  one, 

"  It  is  a  room  of  medium  size,"  he  said,  in  reply  to 
Osgood's  questions.  "  There  is  a  window,  and  a  bed. 
There  is  a  door,  from  the  hall.  There  is  another  door, 
leading  to  the  room  where  Mr.  Clayton  sleeps.  And 
on  the  bed  — " 

He  stopped,  and  Osgood  could  not  make  him  go  on. 

"  Kirke's  room !  "  Mr.  Endicott  whispered. 

"Why  not?"  asked  Henry  Copeland,  turning  to 
Steele.  "  He  was  the  one  who  discovered  the  body, 
and  he  remembers  the  sight." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  219 

"  Very  well,"  the  Inspector  said.  "  Tell  him  to  do 
what  is  in  his  mind." 

Osgood  did  as  he  was  told.  But  he  was  hardly  pre- 
pared for  what  followed. 

Arthur  Copeland  arose,  and  stood  facing  him.  A 
half  minute  passed  in  silence. 

"  Do  whatever  is  uppermost  in  your  mind !  "  Os- 
good repeated. 

For  answer,  Arthur  levelled  his  finger  into  Osgood's 
face. 

"  Did  you  stab  Kirke  yourself?  "  he  demanded. 

There  was  a  start  from  every  one.  Osgood  sprang 
up  from  his  chair.  In  his  anger  he  forgot  to  retain  his 
control  over  Copeland,  and  the  young  man  awoke  to 
his  surroundings. 

"  What  —  what  did  I  say  ?  "  Arthur  Copeland  stam- 
mered. 

Inspector  Steele  told  him,  and  he  became  apologetic 
at  once. 

"  I  don't  know  what  on  earth  could  have  made  me 
say  such  a  thing,  Mr.  Osgood !  "  he  declared. 

"  The  thought  was  previously  in  your  mind,  or  you 
wouldn't  have  said  it,"  Osgood  returned. 

That  ended  the  testing.  Inspector  Steele  informed 
the  others  that  their  presence  was  no  longer  required. 


220  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

and  most  of  them  left  the  room.  Detective  Gray  lin- 
gered long  enough  to  remind  Steele  that  his  prediction 
had  been  correct,  since  the  Inspector  had  obviously 
gained  nothing  whatsoever  from  the  experiment;  then 
he  took  his  departure,  after  declaring  that  he  had  prac- 
tically decided  to  drop  the  case  entirely,  and  to  report 
to  headquarters  that  the  affair  could  never  be  solved. 

Norton  Osgood  w^as  evidently  of  the  same  opinion. 

"  I  have  carried  out  your  instructions  to  the  best  of 
my  ability,  Mr.  Steele,"  he  said,  when  only  the  In- 
spector and  I  remained  in  the  room.  "  But,  as  you 
can  quite  readily  see,  my  effort  was  entirely  without 
success.  I  am  more  convinced  than  ever  that  this  mur- 
der was  done  by  a  person  too  clever  to  be  caught." 

"  May  I  inquire  what  you  mean  when  you  say  that 
your  efforts  were  entirely  without  success?"  Steele 
asked,  slowly. 

"  I  mean,"  replied  Osgood,  "  that  I  failed  to  discover 
anything  at  all  which  could  have  the  slightest  bearing 
upon  Kirke's  murder.  The  words  and  actions  of  some 
of  these  ten  people  were  nothing  less  than  ridiculous, 
and  not  one  of  them  showed  even  the  least  connection 
with  this  crime." 

"  Apparently  not,"  was  Steele's  quiet  remark. 

"  Why  do  you  say  '  apparently  '  ?  "  Osgood  ques- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  221 

tioned.  "  I  certainly  did  not  observe  anything.  It  is 
hardly  possible  that  you  did." 

"  It  would  not  be  very  surprising,  if  I  had/'  the  In- 
spector informed  him.  "  Our  training  has  been  quite 
different,  Mr.  Osgood.  You  have  been  trained  to  rule 
people's  thoughts;  I  have  been  trained  to  read  them." 

"  You  don't  mean  that  you  did  —  see  something!  " 
Norton  Osgood  exclaimed. 

"  I  repeat,"  Steele  replied,  "  that  such  a  thing  is  not 
altogether  impossible." 

"  But  Mr.  Steele !  "  Osgood  stared  at  him  in  amaze- 
ment.    "  Certainly  you  don't  know  v^ho  killed  Kirke !  " 

The  Inspector's  eyes  searched  his  face  for  an  instant, 
as  if  they  would  read  how  much  he  really  knew. 

"  There  is  where  you  are  quite  mistaken,  Mr.  Os- 
good !  "  returned  Inspector  Steele.     "  I  do! " 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Inspector's  declaration  that  he  knew  who  had 
murdered  Harrison  Kirke,  was  a  complete  shock  to  me. 
For  a  moment,  I  could  hardly  credit  what  he  had  said. 
According  to  his  statement,  he  had  observed  something 
in  the  hypnotic  tests  which  we  had  just  seen  —  some- 
thing which  had  given  him  a  clue  concerning  the  guilty 
person.  But  what  could  it  have  been?  I  was  now 
quite  certain  that  I  had  not  committed  the  crime  my- 
self, and  I  was  equally  certain  that  I  had  observed 
everything  that  had  taken  place  during  the  hypnotism 
of  the  other  nine  people.  What  incriminating  incident 
could  Steel  possibly  have  seen  in  these  ludicrous  per- 
formances ? 

At  my  very  first  opportunity  to  talk  with  the  In- 
spector alone,  I  hurried  to  him  and  asked  what  he  had 
observed.  He  seemed  a  bit  surprised  that  I  did  not 
know,  also. 

"  I  assumed,  from  your  expression  at  the  time,  that 
you  had  seen  it,"  he  told  me. 

222 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  223 

"  I  certainly  didn't  see  anything!  "  I  replied.  "  Are 
you  sure  that  you  know  who  did  it?  " 

"  I  am  quite  certain,"  he  answered  quietly. 

"Then  —  you're  ready  to  have  an  arrest  made?'' 

"  No,"  he  answered.  "  I  haven't  any  proof,  at  all. 
I  merely  know  who  did  it.  I  may  find  great  difficulty 
in  getting  proof." 

"  But  tell  me  what  it  was  that  you  saw ! "  I  ex- 
claimed. 

The  Inspector  hesitated  an  instant. 

"  I  hardly  like  to  mention  this  person's  name  to 
you,  until  I  can  prove  the  truth,"  he  said.  "  But,  if 
you  like,  I'll  show  you  where  I  got  my  knowledge." 

To  my  great  surprise,  he  led  me  upstairs  into  the 
upper  hall.  He  made  his  way  to  the  doorway  of 
Kirke's  room,  and  then  went  a  few  steps  farther  down 
the  hall,  until  he  came  to  the  point  where  the  two 
passages  branched  off  at  right  angles.  Here  he  turned 
to  the  hallway  at  the  left,  and  paused. 

"  This  is  something  which  was  evidently  overlooked 
by  Gray  and  by  all  the  others,"  he  said.  "  I  discovered 
it  by  accident  yesterday." 

He  pointed  down  at  the  long,  narrow  rug  which 
extended  the  length  of  the  hallway.  I  came  nearer, 
and  was  able  to  make  out  a  deep  red  stain,  about  as 


224  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

large  as  a  silver  dollar.  There  was  a  much  smaller 
one,  close  beside  it.  In  the  dim  passage,  they  were 
scarcely  noticeable. 

"  Blood !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied.     "  Harrison  Kirke's  blood." 

"  But  how  did  it  happen  to  be  dropped  here,  instead 
of  in  Kirke's  room?  " 

"  That  is  the  peculiar  part  of  it,"  was  Steele's  reply. 
"  Suppose  we  rehearse  once  more  the  important  events 
of  your  dream  on  the  night  of  the  crime.  You  re- 
member that  you  got  out  of  bed,  under  Osgood's  power, 
and  went  as  far  as  the  door  of  Kirke's  room.  There 
you  tried  twice  to  push  the  door  open,  and  naturally 
failed.  All  that  you  dreamed  of  doing  inside  Kirke's 
room,  all  that  happened  after  your  second  failure  to 
open  the  door,  was  nothing  but  a  wild  hallucination." 

"  Of  course,"  I  agreed.  "  I  understand  that, 
but—" 

"  Then  I  wish  you  would  bear  it  very  carefully  in 
mind,  for  an  instant.  After  depositing  your  harmless 
pill-box  in  the  fireplace,  you  returned  to  your  bed,  freed 
from  Osgood's  influence.  I  have  not  the  least  idea 
how  long  you  remained  there,  in  mental  torture  over 
what  you  thought  you  had  done,  before  you  gave  your 
scream.     But  I  do  know  this.     During  that  interval, 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  225 

the  real  murderer  entered  Kirke's  room  from  the  hall- 
way, and  committed  his  crime !  " 

He  paused  an  instant,  but  I  did  not  speak. 

"  The  murderer  was  a  person  of  great  skill,"  he  went 
on.  "  A  pair  of  gloves  provided  against  any  finger- 
prints. The  knife  was  driven  into  Kirke's  heart  with 
such  force  and  accuracy  that  the  victim  could  not  have 
made  a  sound.  And  then  the  murderer  left  the  room 
in  silence,  and  started  down  the  hallway." 

"  But  how  was  he,  or  she,  so  careless  as  to  let  the 
knife  drip  blood  here?"  I  asked.  "That  isn't 
logical !  " 

"No;  it  certainly  isn't,"  Steele  answered.  "But 
what  were  you  doing  at  that  time?  " 

"  Why,"  I  replied,  "I  —  I  must  have  made  my 
scream  about  that  time." 

"  Yes,"  the  Inspector  said.  "  You  did.  Perhaps 
you  can  imagine  what  the  criminal's  feelings  were.  If 
you  had  committed  a  silent  murder,  and  were  in  the 
act  of  returning  to  safety,  how  would  you  like  to  hear  a 
horrible  cry  issuing  apparently  from  the  room  of  the 
slain  man?  " 

"  But  —  but  I  don't  understand !  "  I  said.  "If  the 
murderer  had  already  left  Kirke's  room  when  I 
screamed,  how  can  you  account  for  the  clattering  sound 


226  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

which  I  am  sure  I  heard  just  as  I  was  awakening?" 

Inspector  Steele  did  not  answer.  He  merely  looked 
at  me. 

"And  what  do  we  gain  from  this  bloodstain?"  I 
questioned. 

"  What  do  we  gain?  "  Steele  repeated.  "  We  gain 
the  knowledge  that  the  murderer  came  from  this  pas- 
sage to  the  left,  and  not  from  that  other  hallway." 

"  Oh !  "  I  exclaimed.  *'  Why,  that  would  eliminate 
all  the  ladies  in  the  party,  and  also — "  I  hesitated. 
I  was  not  absolutely  certain  that  I  remembered  exactly 
whose  rooms  were  in  the  other  hallway. 

"  That  is  correct,"  the  Inspector  said.  "  All  the 
ladies  would  be  eliminated  right  away  —  and  also  one 
other.  That  leaves  us  only  the  men  in  this  hallway. 
The  criminal  knew  that,  and  did  not  relish  the  fact 
that  he  had  left  this  tell-tale  bloodmark." 

"  But  there  are  five  men  whose  rooms  open  from  this 
hall,"  I  said.  "  I  don't  see  how  you  can  possibly  tell 
which  one  is  guilty." 

"  We  can't  —  from  the  help  which  this  stain  gives 
us,"  Steele  replied.  "  There  are,  as  you  say,  five  men 
—  Mr.  Arthur  Copeland,  Dr.  Manning,  Mr.  Osgood, 
Mr.  Fred  Aldridge,  and  Mr.  Endicott.     Of  these,  only 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  227 

one  has  shown  himself  to  be  of  such  a  character  that 
we  would  naturally  be  willing  to  suspect  him.  With 
any  one  of  the  other  four,  the  idea  is  distinctly  revolt- 
ing. But  we  must  remember  that  although  a  murder 
was  done,  it  was  done  to  a  man  who  deserved  his  fate. 
Such  a  murder  as  this,  you  will  agree,  would  not  be  too 
base  a  crime  for  any  of  these  five  men." 

"  But  you  haven't  any  means  of  telling  which  one,"  I 
reminded  him. 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  he  answered.  "  I  have,  now. 
It  came  in  just  the  manner  that  I  had  expected  —  from 
the  hypnotic  tests." 

For  a  moment  I  gave  him  a  blank  stare.  Then  I 
began  to  wonder,  and  my  brain  travelled  back  over  the 
events  of  the  hypnotism  that  had  taken  place  in  the 
living-room.  A  sudden  memory  came,  and  I  caught 
my  breath. 

"  Mr.  Steele,  you  can't  —  you  can't  mean  — "  I 
hesitated.  *'  Why,  you  couldn't  mean  him!  He's 
one  of  the  kindliest,  most  good-natured  men  I  ever 
met !     You  can't  mean  that !  " 

"  If  you've  known  him  a  good  while,"  Steele  began, 
"  you  ought  to  know  — " 

"  But  I  haven't !  "  I  declared.     "  Why,  I  never  saw 


228  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

the  man  until  I  came  —  Mr,  Steele,  I  can't  believe  he 
ever  did  it!  I  couldn't  believe  it  of  any  of  these 
men!" 

"  It's  very  hard,  I  admit,"  the  Inspector  said.  "  I'll 
tell  you  frankly  that  I  never  received  such  a  shock  in 
my  life,  as  when  I  learned  who  had  killed  Kirke.  But 
a  murder  is  a  murder,  and  we  must  find  the  proof  that 
we  need.  Now,  I'll  have  to  ask  you  to  promise  not  to 
mention  what  I  have  just  said,  to  any  one.  No  one 
else  in  this  house  must  know  that  I  have  learned  who 
the  criminal  is,  until  I  can  get  proof  enough  to  expose 
him." 

I  gave  him  my  word,  and  we  went  downstairs  to- 
gether. 

It  was  not  until  evening  that  I  learned  of  any  fur- 
ther activity  on  the  part  of  Steele,  About  seven 
o'clock  I  found  him  examining  the  stairway  and  the 
floor  of  the  lower  hall  with  a  powerful  magnifying 
glass. 

*'  You  don't  expect  to  find  anything  now,  after  all 
these  days !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,"  was  his  reply.  "  I  was  looking 
for  something  which  has  been  done  much  more  recently, 
but  it  seems  that  it  is  not  to  be  found." 

He  walked  slowly  to  the  end  of  the  hall,  and  stood 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  229 

for  an  instant  before  the  group  of  overcoats  and  hats 
which  were  hanging  in  one  corner. 

"  Those  coats  have  interested  me  ever  since  I  came 
here,"  he  announced  at  length.  "  I  have  already  ex- 
amined the  gloves  in  the  pockets  a  number  of  times,  but 
I  believe  I'll  try  one  of  them  again." 

He  stepped  forward  and  thrust  his  hand  into  a 
pocket  of  one  of  the  overcoats.  Then,  with  a  look  of 
surprise,  he  withdrew  it  quickly,  and  tried  the  pocket 
on  the  other  side  of  the  coat.  A  little  exclamation, 
half  of  surprise  and  half  of  satisfaction,  told  me  that 
he  had  learned  something  of  importance. 

"  Clayton,  you  haven't  heard  of  any  of  the  party 
being  allowed  to  go  out  of  the  house  yesterday  or  to- 
day ?  "  he  questioned. 

"  No,  indeed,"  I  replied  at  once.  "  Mr.  Gray  has 
been  unusually  careful  in  regard  to  that." 

"  Nevertheless,"  Steele  said,  "  this  gentleman  has 
had  occasion  to  remove  his  gloves  from  his  overcoat 
pockets  since  day  before  yesterday.     I  wonder  why?  " 

I  would  have  given  anything  to  know  who  was  the 
owner  of  that  coat.  But  it  was  rather  dark  in  the  hall- 
way, and  there  were  five  overcoats  upon  that  rack,  and 
although  there  seemed  something  vaguely  familiar 
about  the  garment  which  the  Inspector  was  examining, 


230  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

I  could  not  form  the  slightest  conjecture  as  to  who  had 
taken  such  pains  to  remove  his  gloves.  Steele  did  not 
choose  to  enlighten  me  upon  the  matter,  and  I  knew 
better  than  to  question  him. 

'*  We'll  leave  the  gloves,  for  the  present,"  he  said. 
"  It  is  quite  possible  that  we  may  not  need  to  find  them. 
I  am  going  to  call  the  party  together  again.  Wait  a 
minute,  though  !     What's  this  ?  " 

He  stooped  quickly,  and  picked  up  a  white  object 
from  beneath  the  coat-rack.  After  examining  it  for  a 
moment,  he  nodded  and  placed  it  in  his  pocket.  I  could 
not  see  very  well  in  the  dim  light,  but  I  felt  certain 
that  the  thing  he  had  found  on  the  floor  was  an  ad- 
dressed business  envelope.  I  was  hardly  imaginative 
enough  to  attempt  to  connect  this  envelope  with  the 
murder  of  Kirke,  and  I  doubted  that  the  Inspector 
himself  could  have  had  any  such  idea. 

Our  friends  were  all  nervous  when  they  gathered  in 
the  living-room  at  Steele's  request,  for  they  could  see 
that  the  Inspector's  manner  had  changed.  Every  one 
noticed  it,  and  they  all  felt  that  the  case  was  very  near 
its  end. 

"  I  shall  leave  for  New  York  to-morrow  morning," 
Steele  announced  abruptly,  when  all  were  seated. 

We  were  indeed  startled,  but  no  one  spoke. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  231 

"  I  promised  Mr.  Copeland  when  I  came  here," 
Steele  said,  "  that  I  would  not  leave  until  this  matter 
had  been  solved.  I  have  kept  my  word,  I  have 
learned  who  stabbed  Harrison  Kirke  on  Thursday  eve- 
ning of  last  week,  and  I  am  prepared  to  give  evidence 
which  will  prove  my  assertion." 

He  paused,  and  glanced  at  the  faces  of  the  men.  I 
did  likewise,  Mr.  Copeland  and  his  son  seemed  horri- 
fied that  the  end  of  the  mystery  had  come  so  unexpect- 
edly. Mr.  Endicott  was  in  such  suspense  that  he 
scarcely  breathed.  Fred  Aldridge  was  casting  appre-- 
hensive  glances  at  first  one  and  then  another  of  the 
men,  as  though  trying  to  read  in  advance  which  one 
was  guilty.  Bob  Manning  was  merely  waiting  in 
silence.  Osgood  was  openly  incredulous,  and  I 
thought  for  a  moment  that  he  was  laughing  quietly  at 
Steele. 

The  Inspector's  hand  went  slowly  into  his  coat 
pocket.     And  every  eye  followed  it. 

"  The  evidence  which  I  have  found,"  he  said,  "  is 
here," 

But  before  he  withdrew  his  hand,  Henry  Copeland 
arose  from  his  chair, 

"  Mr.  Steele,"  he  said  slowly,  "  would  you  be  willing 
to  wait  a  moment  ?  " 


232  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

The  Inspector  was  very  much  surprised.  Copeland 
continued. 

"  Do  I  understand  that  you  are  on  the  point  of  ex- 
posing the  murderer  of  Kirke?  "  he  asked. 

"  That  is  what  I  was  about  to  do,  Mr.  Copeland." 
It  was  said  with  decision. 

"  Then,  as  a  favor  to  me,  would  you  wait  five  min- 
utes ?  I  must  see  you  alone,  before  you  make  this  dis- 
closure." 

"  I  am  willing,"  was  Steele's  reply.  "  We'll  go  to 
another  room.     The  others  will  please  wait  here." 

He  started  toward  the  door  with  Mr.  Copeland. 
But  Mr.  Endicott  arose,  and  came  forward. 

"  I'm  going  with  you,  too,"  he  announced  quietly. 

Copeland  was  somewhat  taken  aback.     He  hesitated. 

"  I'm  not  sure  that  you'd  better,  David,"  he  man- 
aged to  say,  at  length,  "  I'd  rather  speak  to  Mr.  Steele 
alone." 

"  No.  I'm  going  with  you."  It  was  clear  that 
David  Endicott  had  resolved  upon  something,  and 
could  not  be  turned  from  his  purpose. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  elder  Copeland.     "  Come." 

But  Fred  Aldridge  interrupted.  His  face  was  white 
and  drawn  again,  as  it  had  been  during  the  first  few 
days  of  the  investigation. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  233 

"  Mr.  Steele,  won't  you  let  me  go  also?  "  he  asked. 
"  I  think  it  would  be  better  —  for  every  one." 

For  a  moment  Steele  was  undecided.  A  sudden 
thought  had  entered  my  head.  Could  this  be  a  trap 
set  by  some  person,  in  the  desperate  hope  of  over- 
powering the  Inspector  in  another  room  and  destroying 
the  evidence  which  he  had  found?  Possibly  the  same 
idea  occurred  to  Steele  at  the  same  instant,  for  he  gave 
me  a  glance  as  he  answered  Aldridge's  request, 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Aldridge,  you  may  come,"  he  said. 
And  then  he  added,  "  And  Clayton  also." 

I  thought  I  understood  his  reason  for  asking  me.  If 
a  trap  were  being  set  for  him  by  some  one,  he  did  not 
care  to  be  caught  without  any  one  upon  whom  he  could 
rely. 

We  went  into  the  familiar  little  room  at  the  end  of 
the  hall,  where  we  had  held  our  first  discussion  with 
Norton  Osgood.  The  Inspector  closed  the  door,  and 
latched  it. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Copeland,"  he  said. 

"  The  matter  I  wanted  to  speak  about,"  the  banker 
replied,  "  is  one  that  I  would  greatly  prefer  to  discuss 
with  you  alone." 

"  These  other  two  gentlemen  have  come  at  their  own 
request,"  Steele  answered.     "  As  for  Mr.  Clayton,  he 


234  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

is  helping  me  on  this  case.  Whatever  you  have  to  say 
will  be  safe  with  him." 

"  Of  course,"  Mr.  Copeland  said.  "  I'm  afraid  you 
don't  quite  get  my  meaning.  This  subject  is  one  which 
I  should  particularly  like  to  avoid  mentioning  in  the 
presence  of  —  in  the  presence  of  these  other  gentlemen. 
I  fear  it  will  affect  one  of  them." 

I  was  almost  certain  that  for  a  tiny  fraction  of  a 
second  his  eyes  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  other  two. 
But  if  my  life  had  depended  upon  it,  I  could  not  have 
told  whether  his  half  glance  was  at  Mr.  Endicott  or  at 
Fred  Aldridge. 

"  You  needn't  hesitate  to  speak  before  me,"  Mr. 
Endicott  said  calmly. 

"  But,  David,  you  don't  understand.  I  know  you 
don't!" 

"  No  matter  what  it  is,"  the  lawyer  persisted.  "  No 
matter  if  you  are  going  to  tell  him  your  whole  story, 
I  want  to  be  here." 

"  And  I  want  to  be  here,  too,"  declared  Fred  Ald- 
ridge. 

Mr.  Copeland  had  to  be  satisfied  with  this.  He 
turned  again  to  Steele. 

*'  I  am  going  to  make  a  very  unusual  request,"  he 
told  us.     "  It  is  a  request  which  I  can  scarcely  hope  you 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  235 

will  be  inclined  to  grant  me.  In  view  of  the  time  and 
pains  that  you  have  taken  in  your  investigation  here, 
it  is  almost  a  preposterous  thing  that  I  am  going  to 
ask  of  you.  But  I  hope  you  will  at  least  listen  to  my 
plea." 

"  I  shall  certainly  be  willing  to  do  anything  within 
reason  for  you,"  the  Inspector  answered. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  will  not  consider  this  within 
reason,"  the  banker  said,  with  a  smile.  "  I  was  going 
to  ask  if  you  could  let  this  affair  remain  a  mystery." 

I  was  greatly  startled.  But  I  noticed  that  Mr.  Endi- 
cott  and  Fred  Aldridge  were  not  very  much  surprised. 
Nor  was  Inspector  Steele,  to  all  appearances. 

"  By  that,  Mr.  Copeland,  you  mean  — "  Steele  began. 

"  I  mean  simply  this.  Detective  Gray  is  hopelessly 
at  sea.  Would  you  be  willing  to  leave  this  case  forever 
unsolved  ?  " 

Steele  was  silent  for  some  time.  I  fancied  that  his 
eyes  were  upon  Endicott  and  Aldridge,  but  I  could 
not  be  certain. 

"Do  you  realize,  Mr.  Copeland,"  he  asked  finally, 
"  that  I  am  now  in  possession  of  evidence  which  will 
convict  the  guilty  party?  " 

Mr.  Endicott  started  to  speak,  but  the  banker  was 
ahead  of  him. 


236  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

**  I  do  realize  that,"  replied  Henry  Copeland. 
**  That  is  why  I  have  made  my  request  at  this  time." 

"  Another  question,"  Steele  said.  "  Why  do  you 
feel  obliged  to  request  such  a  thing?  " 

Mr.  Copeland  glanced  at  Endicott,  but  the  lawyer 
did  not  speak.  Fred  Aldridge  was  silently  watching 
both. 

"  I  can't  answer  that,"  said  Henry  Copeland. 

"  It  would  be  well  for  you  to  reconsider,"  the  In- 
spector told  him.  "  Remember  that  I  have  evidence 
which  will  convict  a  man  —  a  man  who  apparently 
means  quite  a  lot  to  you.  If  you  do  not  want  me  to  use 
this  evidence,  you  must  tell  me  why." 

"  You  have  guessed  the  reason,"  the  banker  an- 
swered, nodding.  "  I,  as  well  as  you,  know  who  did 
the  cf  ime." 

"  And  you  prefer  that  these  other  gentlemen  should 
not  be  told,  for  the  present?  " 

Steele's  eyes  again  searched  the  faces  of  Endicott 
and  Aldridge.  Copeland  did  not  look  up  from  the 
table  before  him.  When  he  answered,  his  voice  was 
low. 

"  One  of  them  does  not  need  to  be  told." 

Each  was  startled,  and  each  stared  at  Henry  Cope- 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  237 

land.  He  seemed  to  feel  the  tension  without  looking 
up,  for  he  added  quickly: 

"  Perhaps  both." 

Mr.  Endicott  was  astounded.  He  stared  first  at  the 
banker,  and  then  at  Steele.  Fred  Aldridge  stared,  too 
—  not  at  them,  but  at  me.     Steele  broke  the  silence. 

"What,  in  your  opinion,  should  I  do?"  he  asked, 
speaking  to  all  of  us.  "  Do  you  believe  your  friends 
want  this  affair  to  remain  a  mystery?  Do  you  think 
they  would  desire  to  go  on  through  life,  seeing  each 
other  often,  as  friends  do,  and  realizing  that  one  of 
their  number  had  done  murder,  and  still  not  knowing 
which  one  ?  " 

"  I  don't  believe  they  would,"  said  David  Endicott. 

"  It  would  be  far  better  that  they  should  never 
know,"  declared  Henry  Copeland. 

Fred  did  not  offer  any  opinion.  Steele  turned  to 
me. 

"  Clayton,  what  do  you  say  ?  " 

I  thought  carefully.  I  considered  the  matter  in  all 
its  phases.  And  I  saw  that  the  future  was  more  im- 
portant than  the  present. 

"  I  must  agree  with  Mr.  Endicott,"  I  answered. 
"  We  should  find  the  murderer  of  Kirke." 

If  my  words  were  the  ones  which  decided  the  mat- 


238  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

ter  in  Steele's  mind,  I  shall  regret  them  all  my  life. 

*'  We  must  go  on  with  the  case,"  he  said  firmly. 

Copeland  started  to  speak  again,  but  saw  how  use- 
less it  would  be.  Fred's  thoughts  seemed  far  away. 
To  Mr.  Endicott,  the  decision  did  not  seem  such  a 
blow.  He  took  it  more  as  something  which  must  in- 
evitably be  faced. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  tell  us  what  your  new  evidence 
is  ?  "  he  asked  Steele. 

"  Certainly.     I  have  it  here." 

Again  Steele's  hand  went  into  his  pocket.  When  it 
came  out  this  time,  I  saw  a  cylindrical  wooden  object. 
As  he  placed  it  carefully  on  the  table  before  us,  holding 
it  gingerly  by  its  extreme  edges,  I  recognized  my  long- 
sought  pill-box. 

"  This  was  the  *  weapon '  which  Mr.  Clayton  used 
when  he  dreamed  of  killing  Kirke,"  the  Inspector  said 
calmly.  "  He  remembers  that  he  dropped  it  behind  the 
bricks  in  the  fireplace.  Later,  the  real  murderer  re- 
moved it,  and  substituted  his  knife,  in  the  hope  of  con- 
vincing Clayton  that  he  himself  had  done  the  crime. 
The  guilty  party  then  threw  this  pill-box  away,  in  a 
place  where  it  could  never  in  the  world  be  found,  even 
if  any  one  should  want  to  look  for  it.  So  thought  the 
man  who  murdered  Kirke !  " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  239 

A  gasp  from  some  one  made  me  look  up.  I  was 
just  too  late  to  see  who  had  made  it.  Endicott  sprang 
to  his  feet. 

"  Then  on  that  pill-box,"  he  cried,  "  you  have  the 
finger-prints  of  — " 

"  Of  the  man  who  murdered  Harrison  Kirke!  "  de- 
clared Inspector  Steele.  "  The  man  whose  gloved 
hand  drove  the  knife,  but  who  did  not  deem  it  neces- 
sary to  use  gloves  when  he  threw  away  this  box ! " 

There  could  be  no  reply  to  this.  Not  a  loophole  re- 
mained through  which  the  guilty  party  could  escape, 
and  we  all  knew  it. 

"  I  intend  to  have  these  prints  developed  at  once," 
said  Steele. 

"  What  ?  "  cried  Endicott.  "  Haven't  you  done 
that  already?" 

Steele  shook  his  head. 

"  I  didn't  need  to,"  he  answered.  "  I  have  known 
for  some  time  who  killed  Kirke.  But  I  shall  attend 
to  these  at  once." 

Endicott  started  to  say  something  more.  But  there 
was  an  unexpected  interruption. 

Something  clattered  sharply  against  the  window- 
pane  at  the  other  end  of  the  room.  We  all  started. 
The  night  was  dark  outside,  and  nothing  could  be  seen. 


240  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

^  Some  one  is  interested  in  our  discussion !  "  declared 
Henry  Copeland. 

Mr.  Endicott  sprang  to  the  window,  and  peered  out. 
The  banker  was  at  his  side  in  an  instant. 

"  What  can  you  see?  "  I  demanded,  eagerly. 

"  Nothing,"  answered  Copeland.  "  It  is  very  dark 
outside.  It  may  be  that  some  one  is  still  watching  us. 
I'll  pull  down  the  shade." 

"Wait!"  exclaimed  the  Inspector,  suddenly.  "If 
any  person  were  trying  to  observe  what  we  are  doing  in 
here,  how  could  he  be  so  careless  as  to  make  a  loud  rap 
upon  the  glass?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  heard  it,"  Fred  declared. 

I  hurried  to  the  window  before  Copeland  pulled 
down  the  shade.     But  nothing  was  visible. 

"  There  can  be  no  question  that  something  struck 
the  window,"  declared  David  Endicott,  "  It  was  al- 
most as  though  some  object  had  been  thrown  against 
the  glass,  from  some  point  a  little  distance  away." 

An  exclamation  from  Steele  startled  us. 

"Clayton!"  he  called.  "What  is  that  by  your 
foot?" 

I  looked.  On  the  rug  lay  a  short  wooden  pencil, 
about  two  inches  long.     I  picked  it  up,  and  saw  that 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  241 

the  lead  was  broken.  Steele  ran  to  my  side,  and 
glanced  at  it. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  demanded  Henry  Cope- 
land. 

Steele  did  not  reply.  Fred  Aldridge  had  started 
toward  us,  but  the  Inspector  whirled  upon  him  so  sud- 
denly that  he  stopped. 

"  Did  you  see  where  this  came  from,  Mr.  Ald- 
ridge ?  "  he  demanded. 

Fred  stared  at  him. 

"  Came  from  ?  "  he  repeated. 

"  Yes.  This  bit  of  pencil  is  the  object  which  struck 
the  window.     It  was  thrown  from  within  the  room !  " 

"  From  —  from  within  the  room !  "  cried  Henry 
Copeland.     "  Mr.  Steele,  what  on  earth  — " 

"  Wait  a  minute!  "  the  lawyer  broke  in,  and  his  tone 
was  so  strange  that  we  all  turned  upon  him.  "  Look, 
Mr.  Steele !     Look  at  the  table !  " 

He  pointed,  and  we  all  stared.  The  wooden  pill-box 
had  disappeared ! 

I  gasped,  and  Copeland  cried  out.  Inspector  Steele 
did  neither.  Instead,  he  walked  calmly  to  the  door, 
locked  it,  and  placed  the  key  in  his  pocket.  Then  he 
returned  to  where  we  stood. 


242  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  I  will  ask  the  gentleman  who  has  taken  that  pill- 
box to  surrender  it,"  he  said  quietly. 

For  a  moment,  there  was  no  reply.  We  were  too 
stunned.  , 

"  Please  explain  what  you  mean !  "  Mr.  Copeland  de- 
manded. 

"  Just  this,"  was  Steele's  answer.  "  Some  one  in 
this  room  threw  this  piece  of  pencil  against  the  window- 
pane,  realizing  that  it  would  sound  as  though  some  one 
were  outside.  Then,  while  my  attention  was  turned 
toward  the  window,  he  removed  the  round  box,  with 
its  convincing  finger-marks,  from  the  table.  Which 
one  of  you  has  done  this,  and  why?  I  want  to  know, 
and  now." 

**  I  can't  believe  your  statements,  Mr.  Steele,"  said 
Henry  Copeland. 

"  You  will  have  to  believe  them.  Nothing  else  is 
possible.  This  broken  lead  shows  that  the  pencil  was 
the  object  which  struck  the  window.  It  is  obvious  that 
it  could  not  have  been  thrown  through  the  glass  from 
outside.  It  remains  that  one  of  you  gentlemen  has 
thrown  it  from  within." 

"  Incredible !  "  declared  Copeland. 

"  Von  have  not  the  slightest  idea  who  did  it,  Mr. 
Copeland  ?  " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  243 

"Certainly  not!     I  can't  believe  any  of  us  did  it! " 

"Very  well,"  said  Inspector  Steele.  "Mr.  Endi- 
cott,  did  you  do  this  ?  " 

"Of  course  I  didn't!"  exclaimed  the  lawyer. 
"  This  is  preposterous !  " 

"  Then,  Clayton.     You  didn't  ?  " 

"  I  did  not,"  I  replied. 

"  And  —  Mr.  Aldridge  ?     Did  you  ?  " 

"  No,"  Fred  answered.     "  I  didn't." 

Steele  was  silent  a  moment,  looking  at  each  one. 

"  Am  I  expected  to  assume  that  this  box  was  not 
taken  by  any  of  you?  "  he  asked  finally. 

"  That  is  what  you  will  have  to  assume,"  answered 
Mr.  Endicott. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  Steele. 

"  What  I  mean  is  that  the  box  was  not  taken  by  any 
of  us,"  the  lawyer  told  him. 

"  Are  you  sure  of  that?  " 

"  No.     But  such  a  thing  is  quite  possible." 

"  Possible !  "  exclaimed  Inspector  Steele.  "  Do  you 
ask  me  to  believe  that  any  one  else  could  have  entered 
this  room  and  have  taken  that  box,  before  the  eyes  of 
all  of  us?" 

"  I  believe  that  is  what  happened,"  returned  David 
Endicott. 


244  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Indeed !  Then  who  threw  this  pencil  at  the  win- 
dow?" 

*'  The  same  person  who  took  the  box,"  said  Endicott. 

The  Inspector  was  almost  exasperated. 

"  This  is  nonsense,  Mr.  Endicott !  "  he  declared. 
"  We  can  at  least  confine  ourselves  to  reasonable 
theories." 

"  My  theory  is  quite  reasonable,"  was  Endicott's 
unruffled  response. 

"  Then  will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  me  where  this 
mysterious  person  stood  when  he  threw  that  pencil  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  be  certain  of  that,"  answered  the  lawyer. 
"  It  is  my  belief  that  he  stood  just  outside  the  door." 

The  Inspector  stared  at  him  as  though  he  suspected 
that  the  suspense  had  affected  his  reason. 

"  Mr.  Endicott,"  Steele  said  finally,  "  when  I  en- 
tered this  room  with  you  and  the  others,  I  was  quite 
careful  to  latch  the  door.  When  I  went  over  there 
and  locked  it  just  a  moment  ago,  it  was  still  latched 
and  as  I  left  it." 

"  But  I  think  it  had  been  opened  and  closed  in  the 
meanwhile,"  Mr.  Endicott  stated.  "  Mr.  Steele,  I  am 
not  attempting  to  throw  you  off  the  track.  I  am  tell- 
ing you  this  because  I  don't  believe  it  is  possible  that 
any  one  of  us  could  have  done  this." 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  245 

"  It  is  quite  impossible  that  any  one  else  could  have 
done  it,"  the  Inspector  answered. 

"  I  don't  believe  that,"  Endicott  contradicted. 
"  Will  you  think  over  the  events  for  a  moment  ? 
When  we  heard  that  sound  at  the  window,  we  were 
all  looking  at  you.  No  one  of  us  could  have  thrown 
anything  without  being  observed  by  the  others.  I 
ran  at  once  to  this  window,  and  stood  peering  out. 
Mr.  Copeland  came  with  me.  Mr.  Clayton  followed 
an  instant  later.  We  were  all  looking  intently  at  this 
end  of  the  room.  The  thief  had  only  to  step  inside 
the  door,  creep  to  the  table,  and  retreat  again.  I 
firmly  believe  that  this  is  what  happened." 

"  It  is  hardly  possible,"  Copeland  declared. 

"  I  can't  even  consider  it,"  said  Malcome  Steele. 
"  It  is  beyond  belief  that  any  person  could  unlatch 
that  door,  advance  to  the  table,  retreat,  and  latch  the 
door  again,  without  being  seen  or  heard !  I  must  look 
for  that  pill-box  among  you  four  gentlemen." 

"  I'm  afraid  you'll  have  to,"  said  Copeland. 

"  I  will  give  the  one  who  took  it  one  more  oppor- 
tunity to  return  it,"  Steele  told  us. 

There  was  no  response. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Inspector.  "  I  shall  leave  it 
in  the  possession  of  whoever  has  it." 


246  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

We  all  started  in  astonishment. 

"  When  I  learn  which  of  you  that  was,  I  shall  regard 
him  as  involved  in  an  attempt  to  thwart  justice.  Your 
act  will  not  make  the  slightest  difference  in  the  com- 
pletion of  this  case.  I  have  known  for  some  time 
who  the  murderer  is,  and  I  shall  arrest  the  guilty  per- 
son to-night !  " 

He  strode  to  the  door,  unlocked  and  opened  it,  and 
stepped  back, 

"  You  are  at  liberty,  gentlemen,"  he  said. 

Endicott  grasped  the  Inspector's  arm  as  we  went  out 
into  the  hall. 

"  Won't  you  give  my  theory  this  much  of  a  test, 
Mr.  Steele  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Just  go  to  the  living-room 
and  see  if  one  of  the  party  there  has  not  found  some 
excuse  for  leaving  the  room." 

Steele  considered  the  suggestion  a  good  one,  and 
acted  upon  it.  When  he  returned  to  us,  his  face 
showed  disgust  and  wrath. 

"  The  other  members  of  the  party  have  paid  abso- 
lutely no  attention  to  the  request  I  made,"  he  an- 
nounced. His  tone  indicated  impatience  and  annoy- 
ance. "  They  have  left  the  living-room,  and  are  sepa- 
rated in  all  parts  of  the  house." 

"  I  am  exceedingly  sorry,  Mr.  Steele !  "  exclaimed 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  247 

the  banker.  His  tone  was  sincere  enough,  yet  I  could 
not  help  feeling  that  he  was  secretly  glad  that  the 
others  had  separated.  "  Shall  I  call  them  together 
again  ?  " 

"  Not  at  present,"  the  Inspector  said,  shortly. 

I  sought  him  out  as  soon  as  he  was  alone. 

"  Are  you  going  to  postpone  the  disclosure  until 
to-morrow?"  I  asked. 

"  Possibly,"  he  said.  "  But  you  may  depend  upon 
it  that  I  shall  not  listen  to  any  request  that  I  leave 
this  case  unsolved.  It  is  one  thing  for  members  of 
the  party  to  request  such  a  thing;  it  is  quite  a  different 
matter  when  they  begin  taking  steps  to  prevent  my 
finishing  this  case.  I  have  a  feeling  that  more  than 
one  of  the  party  are  doing  that,  and  I  don't  intend 
that  it  shall  be  repeated." 

"  Who  has  that  pill-box?  "  I  demanded. 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  admitted.  "  But  I  know  who 
I  think  has  it." 

"  Endicott's  theory  is  tommy-rot!"  I  declared. 
"  Such  a  thing  as  he  describes  could  not  be  done. 
You  may  rest  assured  that  the  box  was  taken  by  one 
of  the  men  in  that  room !  " 

"  Yes,"  Steele  said  slowly,  as  if  in  thought.  "  That 
particular  gentleman  thought  he  was  placing  an  insur- 


248  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

mountable  obstacle  in  my  way  when  he  so  cleverly 
took  that  pill-box  and  obliterated  the  finger-prints  on 
it." 

He  gave  a  dry  little  laugh,  and  then  sat  silent  in 
thought  for  quite  a  time. 

"  Poor  chap,"  he  said,  finally.  "If  he  had  only 
known." 

**  Known  what  ?  "  I  demanded,  all  interest  in  a  flash. 

The  Inspector  arose  leisurely,  and  went  to  the  door. 
Then  he  paused  upon  the  threshold. 

"  You  see,  Clayton,"  he  replied,  "  that  particular 
pill-box  was  a  duplicate  which  I  obtained  from  your 
description  of  it.  I  never  hope  to  find  the  old  one. 
The  only  finger-marks  on  this  box  are  the  ones  the 
druggist  made  when  he  sold  it  to  me !  " 

I  did  not  Imagine  that  anything  more  would  be 
accomplished  that  evening.  It  was  not  yet  nine 
o'clock,  but  I  went  upstairs  to  my  room,  for  I  felt 
rather  worn  out,  and  I  wanted  a  chance  to  think  mat- 
ters over  alone.  I  closed  the  door,  and  sat  down  on 
the  side  of  my  bed. 

I  was  astounded  by  the  manner  in  which  Steele  had 
tricked  the  entire  crowd  with  his  duplicate  pill-box. 
Its  loss  had  been  a  real  advantage  to  him,   for  he 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  249 

unquestionably  had  formed  some  idea  as  to  who  had 
taken  it. 

I  was  wondering  what  his  next  step  would  be,  when 
there  was  a  quiet,  firm  knocking  at  my  door.  I  sprang 
up,  and  found  the  Inspector  in  the  hall. 

"  Come  downstairs,  Clayton,"  he  commanded,  in  a 
low  tone.     "  The  end  of  the  case  has  come." 


CHAPTER  XI 

"  What  ?  "  I  exclaimed.  "  Has  the  murderer  con- 
fessed?" 

**  Sh !  Be  quiet ! "  Inspector  Steele  commanded. 
"  No,  he  has  not  confessed.  But  he  is  going  to,  within 
fifteen  minutes." 

"  How  do  you  know?  "  I  demanded. 

"  Come  downstairs,  and  you'll  see," 

I  followed  him  down,  without  asking  any  more 
questions.  He  took  me  to  the  room  with  the  red 
curtains. 

"  Wait  here,  about  three  minutes,"  he  said.  "  I 
am  going  to  look  up  Mr.  Copeland." 

I  sat  down  in  the  little  room,  alone.  Scarcely  a 
minute  had  passed  when  I  became  aware  that  some 
one  was  standing  in  the  dark  hallway,  looking  into  the 
room.  I  could  see  the  form  of  a  man.  I  arose  at 
once,  and  went  to  see  who  it  was,  but  he  then  walked 
quietly  down  the  hallway,  and  entered  the  living- 
room.  My  curiosity  and  suspense  were  too  much  for 
me,  and  I  quietly  followed. 

250 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  251 

When  I  was  able  to  get  a  view  of  the  Hving-room, 
I  saw  that  the  man  who  had  just  entered  was  Norton 
Osgood.  Ellen  Aldridge  was  already  in  the  room, 
alone,  and  apparently  waiting  for  some  one. 

"  Miss  Aldridge,"  said  Osgood,  in  a  quiet  tone, 
"  I  owe  you  a  very  great  apology." 

She  sprang  to  her  feet  with  indignation. 

"  Don't  you  speak  to  me  again,  Mr.  Osgood ! " 
she  commanded.  "  I'll  not  allow  you  to  speak  to 
me!  I  trusted  you  as  Fred's  friend,  and  as  a  friend 
of  our  family.  I  was  foolish  enough  to  entrust  you 
with  a  secret  I  would  never  have  told  any  one,  except 
my  brother.  And  what  did  you  do?  You  accused 
me  of  doing  murder  —  to  save  yourself !  " 

"  I  never  accused  you !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  No !  You  didn't  dare  say  it,  in  those  words ! 
You  didn't  tell  Mr.  Steele  you  thought  I  killed  Kirke ! 
But  you  made  every  possible  insinuation  that  you  could 
think  of.  You  made  use  of  your  power  over  my 
mind  in  the  test  last  night,  and  tried  to  make  me  admit 
that  I  had  done  it.  And  you  did  this  because  you 
were  afraid  to  face  the  charge  yourself ! " 

Osgood  was  too  ashamed  to  answer  her.  And  then, 
from  the  other  door,  Inspector  Steele  walked  in  upon 
them. 


252  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Mr.  Steele,"  said  Norton  Osgood,  "  I  have  a  con- 
fession to  make.  I'll  make  it  now  before  you,  and 
I'll  do  it  later  before  all  the  others.  On  the  evening 
before  the  crime  was  done,  I  tried  to  make  Clayton 
murder  Kirke." 

"  I  know  that,"  said  Steele. 

I  stepped  across  the  threshold  and  walked  in  with 
the  others.  • 

"  I  have  led  you  to  think  that  I  used  my  power 
over  Clayton  for  that  purpose  at  Miss  Aldridge's 
request,"  Osgood  continued. 

"  That  is  what  we  would  have  supposed,  from  your 
words  and  actions  since  that  night." 

"  She  did  not  request  any  such  thing,"  Osgood  said. 
"  What  she  asked  was  something  quite  different,  and 
I  have  been  holding  it  over  her.  As  far  as  I  know, 
she  never  even  desired  Kirke's  death." 

"  I  know  that,  also,"  Steele  said. 

"  I  have  insinuated  these  things  because  I  was  afraid 
to  take  the  blame  myself.  Kirke  swindled  my  brother 
five  years  ago  —  robbed  him  of  shares  worth  over 
ten  thousand.  There's  nothing  I'd  rather  have  done 
than  killed  the  man !  " 

He  paused,  and  glanced  at  all  of  us  before  he  went 
on. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  253 

"  But  I  —  I  would  never  have  had  the  nerve  to  kill 
a  man  myself,"  he  said,  slowiy.  "  I  tried  to  make 
Clayton  do  it  for  me.  More  than  one  of  the  party 
that  night  knew  what  I  was  doing,  too.  But,  on  my 
honor,  Mr.  Steele,  I  didn't  do  it  deliberately.  It  was 
a  great  temptation  —  to  do  murder  and  not  be  blamed 
for  it  —  but  I  didn't  think  of  it  until  after  I  had  dis- 
cussed hypnotic  murders  with  the  other  gentlemen, 
and  then  I  didn't  dare  try  it.  When  I  sat  down  in 
that  chair  to  hypnotize  Clayton,  I  was  determined  that 
I  would  never  attempt  such  a  thing.  But  Miss  Ald- 
ridge  had  another  request  —  one  that  I  hardly  liked 
to  grant  —  and  it  took  my  mind  away  from  my  own 
determination  not  to  try  crime.  Mr.  Steele,  it's  the 
truth  I  am  telling  you  now!  I  didn't  plan  to  make 
him  do  murder!  But  once  his  mind  was  under  my 
power  —  I  did  it  in  spite  of  myself !  " 

"  I  understand,"  was  Steele's  comment. 

"  You  all  remember  my  horror  when  I  realized  what 
I  had  just  done!  I  would  have  given  the  world  to 
have  been  able  to  undo  it.  But  that  was  impossible! 
I  lived  that  night  in  terror,  in  the  thought  of  what 
Clayton  was  going  to  do!"  He  stopped  suddenly, 
and  looked  at  us  again.  "I  —  I  don't  know  what 
happened  then,"  he  finished.     "  Mr.  Endicott  and  the 


254  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

scientists   will  tell  you   why   Clayton   didn't  do   it." 

"  And  then  —  you  killed  him  yourself  ?  "  I  cried. 

He  turned  upon  me,  with  his  dark  eyes  wide  with 
terror. 

"  Killed  him  —  never !  "  he  choked.  "  It  was 
enough  that  I  had  told  you  to  do  it !  Mr.  Steele,  this 
isn't  true!  I  never  dreamed  Clayton  hadn't  killed 
him,  until  you  told  us !  " 

"  Very  well,"  replied  Steele.  "  I  know  you  didn't 
kill  him.  Now  come  with  me,  Mr.  Osgood,  into  the 
other  room." 

He  led  him  out  into  the  hall,  and  into  the  little  room 
that  I  had  left.  I  was  on  the  point  of  following  him, 
but  Ellen  Aldridge  laid  her  hand  upon  my  arm. 

*'  George,  I  have  been  to  blame  for  all  of  this." 

I  turned  quickly. 

"  Of  course  you  haven't!  "  I  declared. 

"  But  I  have,"  she  said,  slowly.  "  If  I  hadn't  been 
so  silly  and  unreasoning  that  night,  you  would  never 
have  even  been  suspected  of  that  crime,  and  all  this 
would  never  have  happened.  I  can  see  it  all  now, 
and  I  know !  " 

"  You  don't  know  who  killed  him ! "  I  exclaimed. 
"You—" 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  255 

She  silenced  me  with  a  gesture. 

"  Please  don't  ask  me  that,"  she  begged,  in  a  low 
tone. 

"  But,  Ellen,  won't  you  tell  me  just  this?  What  did 
you  ask  Mr.  Osgood  to  make  me  do  ?  " 

"  You  don't  want  me  to  tell  you  that !  " 

"  I  do,"  I  said. 

"  But  it  was  something  that  I  shouldn't  have  done. 
It  —  it  was  wrong." 

**  I  don't  believe  that,  Ellen.  You  have  never  done 
anything  wrong.     Won't  you  tell  me  ?  " 

She  gave  me  a  little  smile  —  half  ashamed  and  half 
afraid. 

"I  —  I  asked  him  if  he  couldn't  make  you  care 
for  me,"  she  answered. 

I  took  her  in  my  arms,  and  kissed  her.  And  when 
Henry  Copeland  hastened  into  the  room  in  response 
to  Steele's  summons,  he  was  astounded,  though  not 
in  the  way  he  had  expected  to  be. 

I  hurried  to  the  room  where  Steele  had  taken  Nor- 
ton Osgood.  When  I  entered,  the  Inspector  was  just 
finishing  some  rather  complicated  instructions  which 
he  had  been  giving.  He  motioned  for  me  to  take  a 
chair. 


256  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Clayton,"  he  said,  "  I  have  decided  that  it  would 
be  wise  to  tell  you  of  my  scheme.  I  am  apparently 
going  to  have  a  second  hypnotic  test." 

"  The  same  as  the  one  we  had  last  night  ?  "  I  ques- 
tioned. 

"  No.  Not  at  all  like  that  one.  The  idea  is  quite 
different,  but  it  is  one  which  cannot  fail  to  bring  a 
confession.  Mr.  Osgood  is  apparently  going  to  hyp- 
notize the  entire  party,  in  quick  succession,  without 
releasing  each  in  turn,  until  all  ten  are  within  his  power 
at  the  same  time." 

"  You  said  '  apparently,'  "  I  remarked. 

"  Yes.  That  is  the  secret  of  my  plan.  With  nine 
of  those  ten  people,  he  is  merely  going  to  pretend  to 
hypnotize  them.  The  only  one  who  will  actually  be 
hypnotized,  will  be  the  murderer  of  Kirke!  " 

"  But  how  do  you  expect  me  to  tell  which  one  that 
is?  "  demanded  Norton  Osgood. 

"  I  know  which  one,  and  I  will  tell  you,"  was  Steele's 
answer.  "  Do  you  see  what  the  effect  of  this  plan 
will  be?  The  entire  party  will  think  they  are  under 
his  power.  I  will  announce  that  Mr.  Osgood  declares 
he  has  power  to  make  the  guilty  person  reveal  himself. 
Mr.  Osgood  will  then  use  his  power  upon  the  only 
one  whom  he  has  hypnotized.     This  person  will  feel 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  257 

himself  drawn  forth  from  the  others  by  a  power  not 
his  own.  His  only  thought  will  be  that  he  has  be- 
trayed everything.     What  can  he  do  but  confess?" 

"  That  is  an  excellent  idea,"  I  told  him.  "  I  don't 
think  it  can  fail." 

"  I  know  it  can't,"  Steele  said.  "  A  man  who  thinks 
he  has  been  singled  out  from  among  ten  people  by  a 
mysterious  power,  will  confess.  We'll  summon  them 
all  to  the  living-room." 

"  But  wait !  "  exclaimed  Osgood.  **  You  haven't 
told  me  the  name  of  the  person." 

"  Oh !  "  Steele  gave  a  little  laugh.  "  I  certainly 
mustn't  forget  that,"  He  gave  me  a  quick  glance, 
and  then  said  to  Osgood,  "  I'll  write  it." 

He  took  a  rectangular  piece  of  paper  from  his 
pocket,  and  a  pencil.  I  thought  for  a  moment  that 
the  paper  was  an  envelope,  but  the  light  in  the  room 
was  not  very  bright,  and  I  could  not  be  certain  without 
actually  coming  nearer  in  order  to  see.  Steele  was 
apparently  on  the  point  of  writing,  but  he  paused, 
with  an  odd  smile  and  something  very  much  like  a 
shudder. 

"  I  have  almost  a  superstitious  dread  of  doing  this," 
he  explained.  "  Those  red  curtains  there  are  dis- 
quieting.    I  was  never  any  nearer  death  in  my  life, 


258  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

than  one  night  several  years  ago,  when  I  attempted 
to  write  out  a  murderer's  name  within  the  hearing  of 
the  criminal." 

I  sprang  up  in  horror. 

"  Then  don't  write  it !  "  I  cried.     "  Don't  write  it !  " 

Inspector  Steele  turned  quietly,  and  drew  back  the 
red  curtains.  A  narrow,  dimly  lighted  passage  was 
visible.     But  there  was  no  one  there. 

"  I  shouldn't  have  felt  that  way,  anyway,"  he  said. 
"  The  man  who  stabbed  Kirke  doesn't  kill  to  save  him- 
self." 

I  saw  his  pencil  moving  as  he  bent  over  the  paper. 
It  may  have  been  nothing  more  than  an  idiotic  notion, 
but  I  could  not  get  rid  of  the  idea  that  he  was  only 
pretending  to  write.  He  straightened  up,  and  handed 
the  paper  to  Osgood. 

"  You  will  hypnotize  this  gentleman,  and  no  one 
else,"  was  his  command.     "  That  is  the  name!  " 

Norton  Osgood  gave  a  gasp  of  stunned  horror. 

"  It  can't  be  true,  Mr.  Steele !  "  he  protested.  "  Are 
you  sure  ?  " 

"There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt,"  replied  Inspec- 
tor Steele.  "  He  killed  Harrison  Kirke.  Kirke  de- 
served it,  I  know,  but  we  must  go  on  just  the  same. 
I  want  a  confession  from  that  man  to-night !  " 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  259 

"  Very  well,"  said  Norton  Osgood.  "  I'll  see  that 
you  get  it." 

"  We'll  summon  all  the  others,  Clayton,"  Steele  told 
me.  "  Perhaps  you  would  call  the  ones  who  are  up- 
stairs." 

The  news  spread  quickly  through  the  house.  Every 
one  had  been  expecting  it.  Five  minutes  later,  when 
the  nerve-racked  party  came  together  in  the  living- 
room  for  the  last  time,  all  knew  in  their  hearts  that 
the  end  had  come. 

The  Copelands  grouped  themselves  together  at  one 
end  of  the  room.  Mr.  Endicott  stood  near  the  banker. 
At  the  other  side,  the  three  Aldridges  were  gathered. 
Lucy  was  white  with  terror,  and  Bob  Manning  sat 
down  beside  her  on  the  sofa.  My  chair  was  apart 
from  the  others,  midway  between  the  two  groups. 
Inspector  Steele  and  Norton  Osgood  occupied  the 
center  of  the  room. 

To  my  surprise,  I  observed  that  they  had  carried 
in  a  couch  from  the  next  room.  Steele  and  Osgood 
placed  it  in  the  center  of  the  circle.  At  one  end, 
near  the  hall  door,  the  Inspector  placed  a  chair.  He 
then  unwrapped  an  object  which  he  had  been  carry- 
ing, and  laid  it  in  full  view  upon  the  chair.  It  was 
the  knife  which  had  killed  Kirke. 


26o  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  Friends,"  Steele  said,  "  Mr.  Osgood  has  told  me 
that  the  end  of  the  case  is  at  hand.  He  is  ready  to 
single  out  the  guilty  party !  " 

Not  a  sound  greeted  this  announcement. 

"  In  accomplishing  this,  he  will  again  make  use  of" 
hypnotism.     From  the  test  which  he  carried  out  last 
night,  he  obtained  a  few  facts  which  were  significant. 
By  the  use  of  hypnotism,  he  is  now  going  to  cause  the 
murderer  of  Harrison  Kirke  to  betray  his  guilt." 

"  Must  the  horror  of  last  night  be  repeated?  "  asked 
Mrs.  Copeland. 

"  Certainly  not,"  replied  Steele.  "  Mr.  Osgood's 
method  this  evening  will  be  very  different.  He  has 
informed  me  that  he  will  have  all  the  members  of  the 
party  within  his  hypnotic  power  at  the  same  time." 

"  I  don't  believe  that  is  possible,"  David  Endicott 
objected. 

"  I  will  prove  to  you  that  it  is,"  said  Norton  Osgood. 
"  I  can  at  any  time  retain  as  many  persons  as  I  wish 
under  my  power." 

There  was  quite  a  stir  in  the  room. 

"  Do  you  see  what  that  will  mean  ? "  demanded 
Inspector  Steele.  "  Mr.  Osgood  will  have  ten  people 
within  his  power.     Every  one  of  these  ten  must  do 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  261 

as  Mr.  Osgood  wishes.  And  the  one  who  is  guilty 
will  be  literally  forced  to  betray  himself !  " 

"  That  isn't  logical !  "  exclaimed  young  Copeland. 
"I  don't—" 

"  Whether  logical  or  not,  it  will  be  done ! "  the  In- 
spector cut  in,  "  Can  every  one  see  that  chair  ?  Upon 
it,  is  the  knife  which  stabbed  Harrison  Kirke,  Upon 
this  couch,  we  are  going  to  imagine  that  Mr.  Kirke 
is  lying! " 

There  was  an  involuntary  gasp  of  terror  from  Grace 
Copeland.     Her  brother  silenced  her. 

"  Mr.  Steele !  "  exclaimed  the  girl's  father.  "  Is  this 
necessary  ?  " 

"  Positively,"  answered  Steele.  "  I  will  tell  you 
what  is  going  to  happen.  Nine  of  the  people  who 
will  be  hypnotized  by  Mr.  Osgood  will  merely  imagine 
that  Kirke  is  upon  this  couch.  One  of  them  —  the 
one  who  killed  him  —  will  see  Kirke  here !  " 

There  was  another  cry  of  horror,  this  time  from 
Mrs.  Copeland. 

"  There  can  be  no  escape  for  the  murderer  of  Harri- 
son Kirke !  "  Inspector  Steele  shot  out.  "  I  am  going 
to  leave  the  knife  on  this  chair.  •  It  is  the  knife  which 
the  guilty  person  knows  only  too  well.     He  cannot 


262  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

escape  Mr.  Osgood's  power !  He  is  going  to  see  Har- 
rison Kirke  upon  this  couch,  and  he  is  going  to  take 
this  knife  and  commit  his  crime  again!" 

Endicott  shrank  back  against  the  wall  in  real  terror. 

"  Mr.  Osgood,  you  will  now  hypnotize  each  one  of 
these  people." 

I  glanced  at  Steele,  and  he  nodded.  I  arose,  and 
offered  myself  as  the  first. 

Osgood's  counterfeit  hypnotism  was  clever.  Had  I 
not  been  through  the  real  thing  three  times,  I  could 
never  have  suspected  the  difference.  But  when  he 
raised  his  hand  and  signalled  that  I  was  in  his  power, 
I  knew  that  my  mind  was  no  more  under  his  influence 
than  it  had  been  before  he  began. 

The  others  followed  without  protest.  I  was  in 
such  excitement  and  suspense  that  I  have  never  been 
able  to  remember  the  order  in  which  they  came.  I 
know  that  Arthur  Copeland  followed  me,  and  that 
Mr.  Endicott  and  Fred  Aldridge  were  the  last  two. 
When  all  ten  had  finished,  Steele  saw  to  it  that  each 
one  returned  to  the  exact  place  which  he  or  she  had 
occupied  before.  As  Osgood  arose  after  the  last  one, 
Steele  surveyed  the  two  groups  in  silence  for  several 
seconds. 

"  One  moment,"  Mr.  Endicott  said.     "  My  brain 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  263 

is  perfectly  clear.  It  was  not  this  way  upon  the 
other  occasions." 

"  If  it  is  clear,"  replied  Osgood,  quickly,  "  it  is  be- 
cause I  wish  it  to  remain  so  for  the  present." 

"  Mr.  Steele,"  said  Henry  Copeland,  "  I  am  quite 
positive  that  I  am  not  under  hypnotic  influence." 

"  I  think  you  will  find  yourself  mistaken,"  Osgood 
contradicted. 

"  But,  remember,  Mr.  Osgood,  you  were  unable  to 
influence  me  last  evening." 

"  You  will  find  that  I  have  been  more  successful 
to-night,"  Osgood  answered.  "  I  am  ready,  Mr. 
Steele." 

"  Then  we'll  watch,"  announced  Steele,  as  he  gazed 
steadily  at  the  others.  "  The  murderer  of  Harrison 
Kirke  will  now  repeat  his  crime !  " 

As  he  spoke,  his  right  hand  felt  behind  him.  There 
was  a  snap,  and  the  lights  in  the  room  went  out.  It 
was  a  total  surprise  to  every  one,  and  there  were 
exclamations. 

The  room  was  not  perfectly  dark.  There  was  a 
very  dim  light  shining  in  from  somewhere  in  the 
hall.  I  was  barely  able  to  make  out  the  objects  at 
the  other  end  of  the  room,  while  things  near  my  end 
were  invisible.     I  could  see  the  outline  of  the  chair 


264  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

on  which  the  knife  was  lying.  Nearer  the  center, 
a  long,  dark  blur  told  me  the  position  of  the  couch. 
I  sensed,  rather  than  saw,  the  shadowy  forms  of  the 
people  in  the  two  groups.  Steele  and  Osgood  had 
disappeared  altogether  in  the  darkness. 

There  was  not  the  slightest  sound,  except  tense 
breathing.     The  suspense  was  ghastly. 

"Mr.  Osgood!" 

It  was  Steele's  voice,  from  somewhere  in  the  dark, 

"I  am  i-eady!"  the  voice  of  Norton  Osgood  an- 
swered. 

"  Then  order  the  murderer  of  Harrison  Kirke  to 
repeat  his  crime !  " 

Osgood's  command  was  not  given  in  words.  Some 
one  took  a  long  breath,  and  my  nerves  were  so  un- 
strung that  I  wanted  to  laugh  at  the  sound.  Then 
silence,  and  darkness,  and  more  silence. 

"You'll  do  it!     You'll  do  it!     You'll  do  it!" 

As  I  heard  again  the  fateful  command  which  had 
driven  me  from  my  bed  and  across  my  room  to  Kirke's 
door  on  that  frightful  Thursday  night,  I  felt  a  shiver 
of  horror.  Some  one  else  felt  it,  too,  for  I  heard  a 
gasp. 

But  no  one  had  moved. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  265 

At  least,  I  could  not  see  that  any  one  had.  I  was 
straining  my  eyes  every  instant.  To  my  left,  near 
the  wall,  was  a  dim  shape.  That  should  be  David 
Endicott.  The  taller  form  beside  his  should  be  Henry 
Copeland.  Beyond  them  I  saw  what  I  thought  was 
another  head,  and  I  remembered  that  young  Cope- 
land  had  been  standing  there.  I  peered  to  the  right, 
and  saw  more  dim  forms.  The  one  standing  just 
outside  the  hazy  area  I  felt  certain  was  Fred  Aldridge. 
There  seemed  to  be  a  taller  one  beside  him,  and  I 
imagined  that  this  must  be  either  Osgood  or  Steele. 
I  could  not  see  Lucy  Aldridge  and  Ellen  on  the  sofa, 
but  I  felt  their  presence. 

"You'll  do  it!     You'll  do  it!     You'll  do  it!" 

That  was  the  second  cry  which  I  had  heard  when  I 
paused  at  Kirke's  door,  after  I  had  carried  out  the 
first  part  of  the  command.  What  could  it  mean 
now?  Surely  no  one  had  moved,  or  had  done  any- 
thing. That  second  command  should  have  been  given 
after  one  thing  had  been  accomplished.  Was  Norton 
Osgood  going  to  fail  in  the  supreme  test? 

Then  there  was  a  cry,  and  a  terrifying  one.  It 
startled  me  so  that  I  could  not  tell  from  which  side 
it  had  come.     It  was  a  girl's  voice,  and  I  thought  it 


266  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

was  Lucy  Aldridge's.  But  what  had  caused  it?  Cer- 
tainly no  one  had  done  anything.  No  one  had  moved 
or  — 

I  gave  a  violent  start.  In  my  excitement,  I  had 
not  been  watching  the  little  chair  where  the  knife  was 
lying.  It  was  the  most  distinct  object  in  the  room. 
And  beside  it,   the   form  of  a  man  was  crouching! 

How  he  had  reached  that  chair  without  my  seeing 
him  was  incomprehensible.     But  he  was  there. 

I  saw  him  reach  out,  and  take  the  knife  in  his 
hand.  Then,  for  a  long  time,  he  seemed  to  remain 
in  the  same  position,  while  we  all  waited,  breath- 
less. It  was  not  for  some  time  that  I  realized  his 
position  was  changing.  Then  I  awoke  to  the  fact  that 
he  was  slowly,  carefully  coming  in  our  direction  — 
straight  toward  the  couch  where  he  imagined  Harrison 
Kirke  was  lying. 

There  was  never  a  sound.  There  could  not  have 
been  a  more  silent,  terrifying  advance.  Gradually, 
noiselessly,  stealthily,  he  came.  And  every  step 
brought  him  nearer,  nearer  to  the  couch. 

Before  I  could  realize  it,  he  was  there.  I  saw  his 
arm  drawn  back.  And  then,  with  lightning,  deadly 
force,  his  knife  tore  through  the  mattress  of  the  couch. 

I  was  on  my  feet,  for  I  could  not  stand  any  more. 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  267 

My  cry  was  echoed  three  times  among  the  others  as 
they  fought  their  way  back  into  the  corners  —  away 
from  that  couch  and  its  terrifying  secret.  Then 
Henry  Copeland's  voice  rang  out. 

"The  lights!     The  lights!" 

Some  one  sprang  to  the  switch.  There  were  others 
running.     Endicott  gave  a  hoarse  cry.     Then  — 

"Stop  him!  There  he  goes!  The  door!"  cried 
Arthur  Copeland. 

Steele's  hand  snapped  on  the  light.  The  scene 
blazed  out,  distinct  and  horrifying.  It  burned  itself 
into  my  brain  so  deeply  that  I  shall  see  it  forever. 
Endicott  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  ghastly,  wringing 
his  hands.  Fred  Aldridge  in  wild  flight  toward  the 
door.     And  Steele  in  the  doorway,  barring  his  escape. 

It  was  all  over  in  an  instant.  Aldridge  flung  him- 
self into  the  Inspector's  arms,  and  clung  there  in  mortal 
dread.  Then  he  cast  one  shuddering  glance  over  his 
shoulder,  and  we  saw  that  it  was  only  fear,  not  guilt, 
which  his  face  revealed. 

"No!  I'm  not  going!"  said  Bob  Manning,  as  he 
arose  from  the  couch,  with  the  shining  knife  still 
clutched  in  his  right  hand.  "  I  killed  Kirke,  and  I'm 
not  sorry!  If  I'm  the  only  one  you  want, —  then  take 
mel" 


268  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

In  the  little  room  at  the  end  of  the  hall,  thirty  min- 
utes later,  Inspector  Steele  asked  him  why  he  had 
done  it.  His  tone  was  not  that  of  a  secret  service 
chief  to  his  prisoner,  but  of  one  man  to  another.  I 
was  there,  with  Henry  Copeland  and  Mr.  Endicott. 

"  Because  he  deserved  it!  "  was  Bob  Manning's  an- 
swer. "  And  because  if  I  hadn't  killed  him,  another 
would  have  1 " 

"  Do  you  mean  Clayton  ?  "  demanded  Steele. 

"Yes!"  said  Manning.  "I  mean  Clayton,  and  I 
mean  Ellen  Aldridge!  I  knew  something  was  wrong 
when  Osgood  hypnotized  George  the  second  time.  I 
saw  Ellen's  manner  when  she  asked  Osgood  to  make 
George  do  something.  I  saw  Osgood's  horror  when 
he  realized  that  George  was  going  to  do  what  he 
had  commanded." 

"  And  you  were  afraid  — " 

"  I  was  afraid  for  them  both !  "  answered  Manning. 
"  I  was  afraid  for  Ellen,  with  her  quick,  impulsive 
nature,  when  I  knew  she  had  given  Osgood  some 
secret  command  for  Clayton.  I  was  afraid  for  George, 
with  his  own  longing  to  wring  that  viper's  neck." 

"  But  how  did  you  know  of  Clayton's  hatred  for 
him?" 

"  He  wouldn't  have  been  a  man  if  he  hadrft  hated 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  269 

him ! "  he  returned.  "  I  stood  behind  the  curtains 
in  that  httle  room,  and  heard  Kirke  say  things  to 
Ellen  Aldridge  that  no  man  on  earth  could  say  before 
me,  and  live.  I  heard  Clayton  dash  in  there,  and 
threaten  him.  And  when  I  saw  Osgood's  agitation 
in  the  hypnotism,  I  was  afraid  for  them  both ! 

"  I  went  upstairs  that  night,  and  listened.  I  had 
seen  how  nervous  George  was.  In  the  middle  of  the 
night,  I  heard  the  floor  creak  in  his  room.  I  know 
now  that  he  was  going  toward  Kirke's  door.  Before 
he  got  there,  I  was  in  Kirke's  room,  and  I  stayed  there 
until  I  heard  him  get  back  into  bed.  But  I  felt  that 
he  would  try  again.  In  my  mind  I  could  see  him 
throttling  Kirke,  and  I  could  see  both  George  and 
Ellen  arrested  for  murder." 

"  And,  to  save  them  both,"  Steele  said,  "  you  — " 

"  Yes,  and  to  save  Ellen's  secret,"  Bob  replied.  "  I 
went  downstairs  and  got  a  knife  from  the  pantry,  and 
he  died  the  death  he  ought  to  have  died  ten  years 
ago!  And  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I'd  make  Gray 
fight  to  get  me !  " 

"But  who  put  the  knife  in  Clayton's  fireplace?" 
questioned  the  Inspector. 

"  I  did,"  Manning  admitted,  in  a  low  tone.  "  George 
came  down  and  told  me  his  plight  that  morning,  and 


270  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

I  went  up  to  do  my  best  to  clear  him.  And  when  I 
came  back,  I  —  I  heard  him  — " 

"  On  my  honor,  Bob,"  I  cried,  *'  that  wasn't  my 
fault!" 

"  I  know  that,  now !  "  he  answered.  "  I  know  now 
that  Ellen  caused  it  all.  But  I  was  blind  then,  and 
hurt,  and  enraged.  For  about  an  hour,  I  forgot  that 
a  real  friendship  is  something  which  can't  be  broken 
that  way.  So  I  went  back  to  your  room,  and  put 
the  knife  in  the  fireplace,  and  threw  away  your  pill-box. 
And  when  I  realized  what  I  had  done  to  you,  I  would 
have  given  my  life  to  have  been  able  to  undo  it!  " 

"  Weren't  you  on  the  point  of  confessing  once  be- 
fore? "  asked  Steele. 

"  Yes,"  said  Manning.  *'  When  you  accused  Ellen 
in  the  living-room,  when  you  first  came.  I  came  for- 
ward to  tell  you  everything,  but  before  I  could  speak, 
George  declared  that  he  had  done  it.  So  I  waited,  and 
let  you  work  out  that  theory,  for  I  knew  I  could 
clear  George  whenever  I  wanted.  But  I  know  the 
point  that  beat  me,  Mr.  Steele.  Since  the  night  it 
happened,  I  knew  it  would  sometime." 

"  The  bloodstain  on  the  carpet  upstairs,"  Steele 
said. 

"  That's  it.     I  had  just  got  out  of  Kirke's  room, 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  271 

and  left  him  with  a  knife  wound  through  his  heart, 
when  I  heard  George  scream.  In  all  my  life  I  have 
never  heard  such  a  sound.  My  nerves  are  good,  Mr. 
Steele.     But  I  dropped  the  knife  on  the  hall  carpet." 

"And  last  night  —  in  the  hypnotic  test?" 

"  Last  night  he  made  that  scream  again,  while  he 
was  hypnotized.  I  had  a  soap-dish  in  my  hand,  and 
I  dropped  it,  just  as  I  had  dropped  the  knife.  When 
it  came  my  turn  to  be  hypnotized,  I  remembered  that 
broken  soap-dish.  I  felt  myself  drawn  straight  toward 
it.  But  when  I  looked  down  at  the  floor,  and  tried 
to  pick  it  up  —  I  saw  that  bloodstain !  " 

"  That  was  the  point,"  said  Steele. 

"  I  did  my  best  to  hide  the  truth.  I  turned  to 
George,  and  told  him  I  had  seen  a  snake.  That  satis- 
fied them  all,  except  you.  I  knew  then  that  it  was 
settled.  When  I  stole  the  pill-box  this  evening,  I 
knew  it  could  only  postpone  it  a  little  while." 

"What!  You  took  that  pill-box?"  Steele  was 
astounded. 

"  I  took  it,"  replied  Manning.  "  I  crept  to  the 
door,  and  heard  your  conversation.  So  I  unlatched 
the  door,  and  threw  a  piece  of  pencil  at  the  window. 
While  you  were  all  investigating  that,  I  slipped  in 
and  took  the  box." 


272  BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS 

"  I  told  you !  "  exclaimed  Endicott. 

"  Dr.  Manning,"  cried  Steele,  "  do  you  mean  to  say 
that  you  unlatched  that  door,  threw  that  pencil,  and 
then  got  over  to  the  table  and  back  again,  with  five 
men  in  the  room  ?  " 

"  It  was  easy,"  said  Bob.  "  When  I  was  hunting 
in  Africa,  I  learned  a  trick  of  moving  noiselessly. 
When  necessary,  I  can  move  quickly,  too.  Not  every 
one  can  do  it.     George  will  tell  you  where  I  learned  it. 

"  I  am  unquestionably  the  murderer  of  Harrison 
Kirke,  Mr.  Steele.  I  didn't  kill  him  for  myself,  for 
I  knew  that  sooner  or  later  you  would  find  it  out. 
I  did  it  for  the  sake  of  Ellen  Aldridge,  and  of  George 
Clayton  —  and  if  I  could  give  myself  again  for  them, 
I  would  be  willing !  " 

"  And,  if  you'll  let  me,  I'll  handle  your  case  at  the 
trial !  "  said  David  Endicott.  "  I  don't  undertake  the 
defense  in  criminal  cases.  But  I  feel  there's  some- 
thing that  this  jury  should  be  told !  " 

Inspector  Steele  packed  his  suit-case  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  bade  good-by  to  the  party.  Detective  Gray 
left  a  few  hours  later,  and  Bob  Manning  went  with 
him.     But  before  Bob  went,  he  came  to  Ellen  and  me. 

"  I'll  say  good-by,"  he  said  simply. 

Ellen  could  not  answer  him  at  all,  and  I  could 


BEHIND  RED  CURTAINS  273 

hardly  find  words  to  express  anything.  I  wanted  to 
know  if  I  could  see  him  again  soon,  but  he  shook  his 
head. 

"  Probably  not  again,"  he  told  me,  and  he  smiled 
a  little  as  he  said  it.  "  Perhaps  you'll  remember 
me,  though.  I  played  a  coward's  trick  with  you  that 
once,  George.     But  I'm  trying  to  make  it  up." 

And  then  he  turned  to  Ellen  Aldridge. 

"  There  isn't  much  I  can  say  to  you,"  he  said  simply. 
"  I  loved  you  —  and  a  great  deal  more  than  you  real- 
ized. You  didn't  seem  to  know  it  then;  perhaps  you 
do  now." 

He  gave  me  his  hand  again,  and  was  gone.  Gray 
took  him,  with  another  plainclothes  man.  The  jury 
gave  him  twenty  years.  They  will  probably  free  him 
before  that  time.  Until  they  do,  he  will  not  let  me 
write  to  him.  It  was  his  request  that  he  should  be 
left  out  of  our  lives,  and  we  have  respected  his  wish. 

But  out  of  our  hearts  he  can  never  go. 


THE  END 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY 


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